


Miracles Don't Exist

by Nanashi_Soldier



Series: Colorless World [1]
Category: Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins, The Maze Runner (2014), The Maze Runner Series - All Media Types, The Maze Runner Series - James Dashner
Genre: Alternate Universe - Hunger Games Setting, Cutting, Multi, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, trigger warning
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-25
Updated: 2015-04-22
Packaged: 2018-03-19 12:50:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 18
Words: 26,911
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3610701
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nanashi_Soldier/pseuds/Nanashi_Soldier
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Thomas wanted to cry. He wanted to scream. Had he only been born to be killed as some sort of entertainment? All this was was some sort of sick joke. Some type of dream. However, there was no waking from this nightmare. </p><p>Not even the whispered apology of breaking his promise could change his fate.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Reaping

**Author's Note:**

> Woah. I haven't written anything in a while. Got caught up in a controlling friendship where I couldn't write a thing without being considered a bad friend. But it feels nice to be able to write again, even if I'm back to writing depressing stuff. Oops.
> 
> I've been writing a lot of TMR but figured I'd finally post one up. Don't kill me.

He wondered what he ever did to fate to have this happen to him. Did he step on a bug in a fast life? Did he do something horrible that would cause him to be punished? He couldn't think of anything that would result in this.

He would glance up every time the door opened. A Peacekeeper constantly checking to make sure he hadn't left, not that he could. There was only one way in and out of the room and the guy was blocking it. It wasn't like he hadn't tried to think of ways to escape.

His family was coming. They were coming to say goodbye and he wasn't even sure what he was going to say to them. Nothing seemed proper. Nothing seemed like it would be enough. So he just tried to occupy himself.

"Thomas, your family is going to be let in in one minute." The Peacekeeper spoke after a minute of observing the boy. He closed the door without waiting for a reply.

Thomas sat there quietly, gazing at his fingers. He was trying to remember how to breathe, but he was still failing. He could see black spots in his vision as he struggled to even his breathing. He would go from hyperventilating to not breathing at all. One could not blame him, however. No, not after what just happened.

\---

_He stood with his friends, they had been trying to do some light joking. He could see his adopted brother Chuck just staring at the ground. Due to age, they couldn't stand with each other. Chuck was thirteen and still had so many years to go before he would be clear of not getting called. Unlike him, who was sixteen. He had survived so many reapings, but with every time they got low on supplies, Thomas signed another bit of his life away. His chances of being drawn were increased._

_He just gazed at the bowl, wondering how many slips in there were his. He figured half were his name. It was hard on his mother to support him and Chuck by repairing and making clothes, especially when their little distract got very little supplies to work with. Just as much as his mother would weep that he would write his name on another slip to get some extra food, she was just as grateful. That was reason enough for him to not regret it._

_Silence settled around the town center as the opening speech began. It was pretty much the same every year and he could recite it from memory. And then came the part everyone dreaded. Two families would mourn the loss of a child. They weren't a district of fighters, barely having any victors. In the history of the games, they have only had two winners. Neither of them were on stage, though. The first two victors in the history of the district and they were young. His age. And that was what made him feel most sick about the games, what the Capitol turned them into._

_Thomas didn't realize he had zoned out until his friends were looking at him. He heard someone screaming and crying, and he swore it sounded like his mother. "Thomas Edison?" The repeat of his name made his throat close._

_He had been prepared for this. He knew this was coming. It had him shuffling from his spot. He wanted to prolong going up to the stage, especially when Chuck grabbed his hand. "Hey, I'll see you in a bit, alright? Be brave." He whispered to his brother before a Peacekeeper forced him to the stage._

_The rest of the ceremony went too quickly. Like he was floating in a daze, just gazing at his home that he would never see again. To learn to survive alongside a girl whose name he didn't even know. From mentors who didn't feel the need to show up for the reaping._

_He wasn't going to survive. And that was the harsh reality._


	2. The Train

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thomas finally meets the victors, but feels even more helpless than before.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really have no plans of sticking close to canon on how the time leading up to the Games were spent in THG. It's AU after all, so just wanted to give that warning.
> 
> Also, there's a mention of something canon to Newt's past in TMR that wiggled its way into this chapter. That being said, both victors will have their own stories (this why this is part of a series).
> 
> With all that being said, this is unbeta'd so it's total crap. I'm sorry.

He wanted to fight every urge to just jump off the train. He knew it wasn't possible. He figured that there were many things in place so that tributes couldn't off themselves before the Games. Even still, one couldn't help but consider it. Right?

It left him just feeling helpless. Then again, that has been how he felt ever since they called his name. His life was no longer his own. He was just a puppet and someone else was pulling the strings. Telling him where to go, how to act, and that his fate is a horrible one.

Thomas couldn't bring himself to eat the food in front of him. It smelt amazing. He couldn't remember the last time that he actually had a proper breakfast. Most of the time, he had given his food to Chuck. His brother needed it more than him. But the thought of eating made his stomach do flips, making him quite sure that he would probably see it again quickly if he even tried.

He glanced at his side, watching the female tribute, Sonya as she introduced herself, stuff her face with food. At least she could eat. Although she stopped when the compartment door slammed open. His eyes followed her to the door, his throat closing up at the sight of the victors finally making an appearance.

An Asian teen wandered through the door. Thomas' mind supplied him with the name Minho. He was the second victor from their district. Minho had been a fast runner, which had helped him greatly in the woods setting. While others had issues with tripping and getting caught, Minho had easily used the arena to his advantage. Thomas remembered watching the games, seeing the sheer brilliance Minho held of setting up traps, often pitting other districts against each other instead of fighting them himself. It had been proven that Minho wasn't as strong as a career, but he had still shed blood just like every other tribute that stepped onto the field that year.

Following Minho trailed the first victor to their district. Newt. Newt's games had had Thomas glued to the screen. The arena had been a maze, a forever shifting maze. Many tributes lost their minds, including Newt. Thomas had watched that fateful day when Newt flung himself off a wall because he couldn't stand the maze. However, instead of dying, the tribute had been left with the knowledge that fate wasn't that nice. A destroyed leg had been the price he paid for his actions. The action seemed to change his depression into anger and the teen set about beginning to use the maze to his advantage. Brutal didn't even begin to describe the way Newt had become. The blond won and then disappeared off the face of the Earth, as far as Thomas knew.

"Let's not sugarcoat this." Minho sat down next to Sonya while Newt sat next to Thomas. "We have little time to prepare you two for the Games. You will face horrors unlike anything you have met before. If we're lucky, only one of you will die and the other will be victorious. In the end, that's all what this is about. Returning home." The clear sound of Newt kicking Minho hung in the air as the Asian just groaned in pain.

"Minho is right." Newt's voice was gentle, something Thomas hadn't been expecting. He expected him to be insane. After all, those were the rumors. "We're expected to prepare you. However, that is impossible."

"How is that impossible?! Why else would you be sent along with us? Teach us to fight!" Sonya looked like she was going to hit something. The thought of dying didn't settle well with either tribute. Sonya just was better at voicing it.

"Because nothing can prepare you for what you're going to find once you pop up on the field. An endless sea, a frozen land of ice, another maze or forest? We don't know. When you're out there, we aren't there to hold your hand and offer you our opinion. You have to depend on yourself." Minho crossed his arms, leaning back in his seat.

"Your wits will keep you alive. Know your surroundings, memorize them. Always remember the number of enemies. And, most importantly, use your skills to their fullest potential once out there. For me, it was my weak appearance. I didn't score a nine for nothing. As dumb as Minho sounds whenever he opens his mouth, his intelligence and speed were his advantage." Newt looked between the two of them. "And you two? What makes you special?"

"I like puzzles and am pretty good at them." Sonya seemed proud of that. "And I will do whatever it takes to win. Whatever it takes." There was a dark glint to her eyes that Thomas didn't like.

"And you?" Minho was looking at Thomas, as were the others.

"I'm nothing special." Thomas glanced at the table. He wasn't strong, didn't think he was a fast runner, nor as smart as the others. Heck he wasn't sure he even had any survival instincts. Just acknowledging that cemented that feeling of helplessness, that he really was going to die without a fighting chance.

"Then you find something or else you're good as dead." Minho leaned forward. "You know any weapons?" Thomas shook his head. "What about plants?" He shook his head again.

"Don't worry, Tommy. You'll figure something out." Thomas was surprised, as he hadn't known Minho and Newt knew their names. But he did feel a little bit more confident at hearing Newt's words. Maybe he would discover something he was good at.

"You'll get time learning weapons, plants, basic survival techniques. It'll be a fun experience. Just don't be _too_ good when the careers are watching or you'll be the first ones they target. If you want to survive, stay off their radar." The train ride continued with Newt, but mainly Minho, offering advice and Sonya asking a million questions.

The sight of the Capitol made Thomas' stomach lurch. He felt a comforting hand on his shoulder, offering it a reassuring squeeze. The buildings were beautiful. To think that this would be the place he was going to die, and not back home with his family.

"Just take a deep breath, Thomas. You're going to be alright." Newt's voice was quiet as both of them gazed out the window. Both of them knew it was a lie but the male tribute wasn't about to call him out on it.

He wanted to believe in the lie for as long as possible.


	3. Training

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> First day of training leaves Thomas learning more lessons than just surviving and fighting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I will make one promise, this isn't going to ending any time soon. I know I'm just making all these chapters quick and jump from day to day but I'm a little more interested in the Games. Oops.
> 
> Unbeta'd because I'm too lazy to find a new one. So this sucking is all on me.

Thomas couldn't sleep. He just kept tossing and turning in his bed. He didn't need to sleep all that much, as he used to sleeping odd hours. He couldn't tell if it was nerves or the fact he had never rested in such a soft bed before.

Every time he closed his eyes, he remembered the treatment prior to getting dolled up for the chariot run. Thousands upon thousands of eyes were watching him, sizing him up. Even now, without any eyes on him, he could still feel their judgement. Perhaps it was just in his head, but he figured that they were all already betting against him.

The brunet got out of bed, giving up on sleeping. The sound of the television attracted him. He was surprised to see Newt curled up on the couch, brown eyes glued to the television. After a couple seconds those hues found their way to Thomas and it took his breath away.

Those warm eyes from yesterday were gone. The look that he found was one of someone haunted by demons, unable to sleep, and a bit of madness. This was the Newt he had been expecting to be met with on the train. Not now.

"Did I wake you, Tommy? I didn't think I had the tele on that loud." Newt muttered as he moved to turn the television down. Thomas' attention automatically gravitated to the screen. The familiar maze from four years ago greeted him.

"You probably shouldn't be watching that." Thomas moved around the couch to settle down next to Newt. He could feel the seat move as the blond moved an inch away, as if on instinct and he didn't mean to. It was a second before either of them relaxed and Thomas was able to get control of the remote.

"I was twelve." Newt muttered. "It's unfair, so unfair." Thomas wasn't quite sure what the victor was calling unfair. The fact the Games took away his childhood? That it probably ruined his life? That it turned him into a killer? Or the fact that every year he has to mentor two district members who are being sent to their death and he can't do anything.

"I don't think anyone blames you, but yourself." Thomas changed the television station. The host was showing a party going on, the beginning of the Hunger Games celebrations.

"They should." The whispered words went unanswered. There was nothing Thomas could say to that, because he wasn't even sure how to handle this. He reached out an arm and wrapped it around Newt's shoulders, pulling the other close.

It was nice, to not feel useless. He was being sentenced to death, but he wasn't going to waste his final days. He was going to live to the fullest, help others. He was going to help give Sonya a fighting chance, as he believed her to be the more likely of the two to survive.

Neither teen was sure when they fell asleep, but Minho was the one who woke them up for breakfast. Thomas wasn't really in the mood to eat, knowing that today would be the first day of training. He wasn't sure how Minho and Sonya could just stuff their mouth with food. Newt just pushed food around his plate. Occasionally the blond was glancing at Minho when the Asian muttered something to him.

The television was on, replaying last night's festivities. The Chariot was all the talk, not that Thomas wanted to relive the ridiculous outfit he had been shoved into. How anyone enjoyed to be given such a hideous appearance, he would never understand. It reminded him of the horrible appearances of the Capitol citizens. With their weird hair colors, styles, and their flashy clothes.

It also reminded him of earlier with Newt. It was a short moment where he was able to see a vulnerable side of the victor. Possibly the real Newt that wasn't just a facade. Or was everything real and it was how Newt was dealing with it? The best word that the brunet could come up with was bitter.

"You guys have a long day of training ahead. Remember. Watch the other tributes, learn from them. Also, learn from your instructors. And, most importantly, don't show off." Minho warned them as he glanced at the clock before he began to move everyone towards the elevator. Thomas wanted to question why Minho and Newt were coming with them.

"If you have any problems, talk to Gally. The guy is a jerk, but he has a good heart." Thomas wondered why the name Gally was familiar, but pushed it aside. If Newt told them to talk to Gally, then he was someone to trust.

He and Sonya were left alone when the doors opened onto the training floor. Newt and Minho left them there with the tributes from the other districts. He wasn't sure if he should train with Sonya or not, but figured he would decide after the impatient looking instructor gave them directions.

"Let's learn to start fires, Thomas." Sonya dragged him to the station. He learned he was actually a pretty fast learner. He was impressed with how quick he was able to pick things up. He kept them learning survival for the day, from learning about plants to fires to setting snares, to an intense looking match game. It took him a couple tries before he realized it was to identify dangerous plants.

"I'm confident that I could set a fire in my sleep," Sonya stretched as they got into the elevator after they were dismissed. Thomas wanted to agree.

"Thanks for humoring me on a day of survival basics." The look he got was a weird one.

"Believe it or not, Thomas, but we're in this together. If there's one person I trust, it's you. If you think survival is key, then I'll agree." Besides, both of them were aware fighting was only half the battle. Surviving long enough to fight was the other half.

"Tomorrow, we can do the obstacle courses." Sonya's eyes seemed to light up at that.

"Did you see the District Two girl at the ropes? She was amazing." They had noticed everyone. The careers were intense, as always. They had settled on intimidating everyone on the first day, and it worked on several of the tributes. It worked a little on Thomas.

"They're good, guys. Best I've seen from your district since Minho." Sonya and Thomas entered their floor to see the instructor from earlier talking with Newt and Minho. All three pairs of eyes looked at the tributes who wandered in.

"What's going on?" Sonya was the one to speak up.

"Just having a chat with Gally, that's all. You two should grab a snack before we continue your training." While confused, both tributes went to get food. So that was Gally? And he was friends with their victors? Perhaps it would give them an edge in training.

"First day observation, my money is on Thomas." Sonya and Thomas listened in. "Sonya is good, but a little impatient. Thomas is patient and a quick learner. I have confidence in both of their survival skills. They didn't touch any other stations today, so I can't give you an update on how they stand when next to the other districts." Minho had his arms crossed while listening to Gally talk while Newt was settled in a chair, completely relaxed.

"You're still on for helping in our training sessions, right?" Newt's voice was quiet, which had been hard for the tributes to hear.

"Of course. You just remember that me being there never happened." The smile Gally gave was gentle.

"We owe you, Gally. We really do." Minho slapped the other male on the back.

"Yes, you do. You have since I helped train you." The joking was evident, but Thomas couldn't help but feel like Gally was also serious. "Now, if you two would stop hiding. We have training to do." Thomas and Sonya left their hiding place. Minho's expression was amused while Newt's was unreadable. "Now let's go." The group headed to the elevator and they rode it in silence.

"Right, so this is Gally. He was born into a Peacekeeper family and was training to be one when he was called in to be my mentor." Newt crossed his arms as he addressed the tributes once they reached a training room. It had mats for floors and held various weapons against one wall. "Ever since, he has worked as the lead trainer for tributes." It now made sense as to why they should go to him if they had problems.

"We'll see how you hold up against us, to help figure out strengths and weaknesses." Gally spoke. Thomas didn't like the sound of that in the least. He preferred it over going to head with a tribute, but this was still their mentors.

"Don't worry, we'll go easy on you." Newt was the one who stepped forward. "Now who first?" Thomas glanced at Sonya, who was watching him. He stepped forward when she didn't. "No holding back, Tommy." Newt's smile was gentle and it was almost alarming. He remembered Newt's words. Others took him for being weak and fragile and that had been their downfall.

"Right." He mimicked the stance that Newt held, arms up and ready for a fight. However, neither of them moved. Just as Thomas was about to, Newt did. Not that he realized it until he felt a punch to his stomach and his legs swept out from underneath him. His back hit the ground hard, Newt atop him with an elbow pressed to his throat.

"Come on, Thomas. Don't you even know basic self defence?" Gally was not amused as Newt helped Thomas up.

"Not really." Thomas muttered, gazing at the ground.

"Great. We have a week to get you to actually be able to hold your own. We're going to need a miracle." Gally's pessimism was only making Thomas feel worse. However, it also made him want to learn just so he can shut the male up. "Alright. Let's start over. This time, try not to get taken out in five seconds, Greenie."


	4. Acceptance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thomas and Sonya make a decision, their mentors reluctantly agreeing. But reality weighs heavy on Thomas' shoulders.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm working on the Games bit and it's... interesting. Haha. I'm forever editing the chapters before I post them. I really do enjoy the comments, they make my day better.
> 
> Figuring I'll update a day until it's finished. I'm on Chapter 9 right now, so... yes. This will be long. Oops. Sorry that I'm not sorry.

Thomas watched his mentors almost as much as he watched the other tributes. He was trying to learn from them. From the way they moved to every example they gave him. How to disarm someone, to use your surroundings to your advantage, and how to build their bodies to be a little bit stronger. Gally wasn't able to tell them what the arena would be, not that he would tell them if he knew. It was only his job to train tributes, not build the arena. That was the job of someone he called Brenda, who Thomas guessed was the Game Maker.

"You're doing better, Sonya. We have little time to prepare you guys for showing off a skill. District 10 has to have some sort of specialty." Gally glanced between the two tributes. "Any weapon you guys know?"

"My dad is a butcher so I know knives." Sonya shrugged, seeming to miss the gleam in Minho's eyes. However, Thomas saw it, along with Gally's lips turning into a smirk.

"Finally, a weapon we can work with. What about you, Thomas?" All eyes were on him. It made him feel uncomfortable.

"I milked animals." He muttered. "I mean... There were a couple times when I had to use a gun." His voice just trailed off. He hated that part. It only fell on his shoulders when they couldn't find anyone else. He told himself the death would help put the animal out of its misery, but he still felt guilty afterwards.

"Why didn't you say so earlier? Sheesh, Tommy. We could have been preparing you ages ago. Both of you." It was clear both teens hadn't thought that their knowledge was important.

"Minho, you and Newt can help Sonya and I'll help with Thomas." Gally decided. They separated to two opposite sides of the room and began to train with their weapons of choice. For Thomas, the weapon he didn't actually have a choice about.

"What are the chances of them actually putting a gun in the Cornucopia?" Thomas asked Newt and Minho while they were all settled in the living room. Sonya was attempting to read but it was clear that she was listening in on their conversation.

"Don't you dare think about going into that blood bath, Tommy. You'll die." Thomas was already aware that most tributes died then, but it would always be worth a shot if he could get an advantage.

"If you score well with a gun on assessments, they'll add at least one to the Cornucopia. They'll probably put it in the center, but you won't make it. Only careers end with the best stuff." Minho leaned back in his seat. Thomas remembered that Newt had ran straight away from the blood bath while Minho used his speed to grab a sword and kept going.

"You have no faith in us," Sonya huffed.

"We have faith, we just don't want to watch you two get killed over something as stupid as those bloody supplies. You can get by without them." Newt went to stand up but his leg wouldn't support him and he fell back down onto the couch. Thomas tried to get him to stay sitting.

"We know, guys. We know you mean well but those supplies could mean life or death if we survive." Everyone was quiet after Thomas spoke, the sound of the television being the only sound until the elevator dinged.

"Am I interrupting?" Gally had stopped two feet into the room once all eyes had turned to look at him.

"No, not really. Just trying to convince these two that they should not run straight into the Cornucopia from the get go." Minho supplied as Gally entered the living room. Minho offered his seat to sit on the couch with Newt and Thomas.

"Worst idea in the entire world, if I'm being honest. It's not called a blood bath for nothing. Most tributes die then. You guys need a strategy." Gally leaned forward.

"Honestly, my strategy is to survive." Thomas hadn't thought much about the games.

"Besides surviving, shuck face." Gally rolled his eyes.

"I want to get a sword." Sonya leaned forward to match Gally's appearance. "I'd rather get it from the beginning. I'm not confident enough to sneak attack to obtain one, especially if a career has it. I mean, even if I had Thomas' help, it's a suicide mission." Everyone was quiet.

"It leaves me and Sonya forced to rely on being able to grab something from the middle, anything. Otherwise, we're as good as dead." Newt sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose.

"Minho will train you two to run faster and longer. If you hope to survive, then that will be key." Thomas felt a little victorious at Newt's words, even when Minho gave a disbelieving look at the blond mentor.

"I'm going to run the two of you into the ground until you get that silly notion out of your head." Minho warned. They didn't have long either, so the threat became a promise. "So let's go. Get up. No time to rest if you want to survive." Thomas and Sonya reluctantly followed Minho while Newt remained behind with Gally. Whispered words were exchanged as the trio stepped into the elevator and Thomas wished he knew what was said to make Newt's expression change to that of horror.

Sonya fell to the ground before Thomas did. They had been running for hours with few breaks. Minho was keeping to his promise. He kept loading them up with heavier and heavier items to carry. Thomas couldn't feel his legs anymore, only when they began to pulsate with pain. He could hear Sonya begging to just be allowed to go to bed.

"Come on, Min. They're no good if they're dead before the Games." Thomas didn't think he was more glad to see Newt before now. It was like the blond was an angel to put him out of his misery. "It's midnight and you've been running them into the ground for five hours now. I think your point is proven." Newt's arms were crossed as he had a stare down with Minho.

"Fine. Get off the floors, we're done." Thomas was worried about the silent battle between the two mentors. Something honestly was off and he wondered if it had to do with him and Sonya.

"I can keep going." Thomas struggled to get back to his feet. "It's alright, Newt." All three pairs of eyes were on him, Newt holding a look of concern, Sonya disbelief, and Minho pride.

"Come on, Thomas. Newt will kill me if I really do kill you two." Minho wandered over to clap a hand on his shoulder. "You two proved you can handle getting in and out. The weights help build stamina faster. You'll run a little faster a little longer. Gally taught me that trick since Newt was still on crutches." Newt and Minho helped them shrug off all the extra weight that had been added to them.

"Do you really think we'll survive the Cornucopia?" Sonya asked a bit hesitantly. It didn't fit her, not in Thomas' opinion. She had always seemed so sure of her self, so confident. To see her looking for approval, it was unusual.

"Actually, yes. You two aren't stupid enough to go to the center, but I have confident you could grab something on the outskirts and get out." The group went into the elevator and rode it up.

"Stick together. You're stronger as a pair. The chances of you getting anything good are low, but what you can grab combined might mean the difference between life and death. You two can only trust each other." Newt glanced between them. "So trust each other, work together. Be allies." Thomas glanced at Sonya, knowing that she was thinking the same thought as him. They couldn't stay allies forever, only one of them could live.

Things were quiet when the doors to their floor opened. Sonya headed to her room, while Minho, Newt, and Thomas were a little slower. "You alright, Tommy?" Newt glanced at the tribute.

"Uh yeah..." Thomas tried to flash a smile but know he failed.

"It's alright to be scared. I was and kept crying every night, ask Newt. I got so mad that I punched Gally in the face. In the end, I was resigned to my fate and came to peace with it. Now that didn't mean I was going to roll over and die. Heck no. I accepted that my life was going to change and I had to go into the Games. But I refused to go down without a fight." Thomas simply found himself nodding.

"I wasn't as... determined as Minho was." Both looked at Newt who was gazing at his feet. "I didn't want to listen to Gally at all. He forced me, too. Forced me to acknowledge anger was my greatest weapon if I wanted to survive, but I was too afraid to tap into it. I was twelve. I had my whole life ahead of me and it took nearly dying to make me realize that I didn't want to die. I had to choose between being killed or being a killer. If it meant surviving and living, I would do what I had to." Silence settled in. The weight of their words settled heavy on his shoulders. Was he even able to be anything like them?

"I don't want to kill anyone." Thomas whispered after a moment.

"You will, Thomas. You will hate it to your very core. But you tell yourself one thing. It's better them than you. Every time that cannon sounds means you're one step closer to getting home." Newt had placed both his hands on Thomas's shoulders. "You and Sonya, you have the best chance outside of the careers. Gally doesn't praise people like he does you and her. So cheer up, Tommy. Get some rest. Tomorrow is going to be the longest day of your life."

The unspoken words of tomorrow being the last full day before the end hung heavy in the air. No one wanted to mention it.


	5. Assessments and Interviews

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thomas flies through his weapon assessment, and becomes a crowd favorite with his interview.

Thomas was sprawled out on the floor, breathing hard. His body ached from misuse. He had never really been so active before. He could actually feel that his body was putting up with everything better. He had budding muscles where he hadn't before. He also had bruises all over the place from the abuse of putting up with being trained by Gally, Minho, and Newt. Newt sometimes forgot to go easy on them. It was in those moments that Thomas saw the insanity that the Games could install in its tributes. Minho often lost himself in the battle, often getting knocked out by Gally when he forgot that he was supposed to be helping, not beating up Sonya and Thomas.

Thomas was amazed at how far he had come. There was only one day left. One day left in just normal living before he was going to be sent up to the Games. He wanted to call home, write home, something. However, that wasn't possible. He had considered writing a note and asking Newt to deliver it when he died. But every time he went to take a pen to paper, he got too choked up.

"You alright, Tommy?" Newt was leaning against his crutches, standing in the doorway. It had quickly become apparent that Gally had been asked to help in training because Newt's leg hadn't healed properly. It had been the one thing that the Capitol couldn't heal once the Games were over with. A constant reminder that Newt could never forget getting driven to the edge.

"Fine." Thomas muttered as the blond wandered into the room and sat on the bed.

"Tonight is the interview and we haven't prepared either of you for it. He's going to ask you several questions and just answer them. Caesar, it's his job to make you look like a good candidate to bet on. It's his job, after all. But, in the end, it's your words that will help you gain favor or lose it." Thomas swallowed hard. He had forgotten about this part.

He's going to be under the radar, watched by everyone. He wasn't sure what he would be wearing, what he would say. Perhaps his nervousness showed on his face, as Newt was suddenly at his side.

"Tommy, you're going to be alright. Just take a deep breath." The brunet listened and did as he was told. "Just be yourself. Trust me, the world will fall in love with you." The smile that his eyes were graced with was warm.

"Thanks, Newt, but don't I need a winning tactic to win people over? Last year they played up star crossed lovers. Year before that the favorite had been a volunteer for his brother. Minho was a favorite because he had charisma and used it to his advantage. You were so nervous, that the audience coo'd after every thing that came out of your mouth." Thomas didn't want to just be a plain jane. He wanted to make an impression. Leave them remembering him.

"Be yourself, Tommy. That's all you have to do. Just take a deep breath and pretend you're talking to me. Good that?" Talk to Newt? Thomas could do that. It was easy to talk to Newt. They had spent most nights on the couch, watching horrible Capitol television together because they couldn't sleep. He had learned a lot about Newt. About his sister back home, about his parents, about his thoughts during the Games, and that Newt was plagued by nightmares and had pretty much become a hermit because he couldn't face anyone in the district without feeling like a murderer. The blood of their tributes were on him, or so Newt claimed, because he wasn't good enough to teach them to survive.

"Good that." He smiled. The blond kissed him on the forehead before he headed to the door.

"You also need to get ready, they're doing skill assessments soon. You ready for it?" Thomas shook his head. He still wasn't sure how he could possibly wow the judges. "You don't have to be the best, Tommy. Sometimes, it's the underdog who proves the world that the scoring means nothing."

And with that, Newt was gone from the room. It left Thomas thinking. Perhaps scoring poorly in the assessment wouldn't be bad. He was so occupied with being the best that he forgot that it would make him a target. The careers would view him a threat and he wasn't sure he could handle that. But being plain... He was good at that.

Alright, so maybe being plain hadn't been his best idea. He could feel how nervous every tribute was as they waited their turn to go into the room. Slowly the numbers were dwindling down. Once done, they didn't return to the room. Instead, they went to be prepped for the interview. Their score would be announced then, just to make things even more intimidating.

Thomas nearly fell over himself when his name got called. He had figured out a weapon he was good at and Gally helped him improve. His fingers ghosted over the cold metal, grateful to feel that it was cold and not warm. It gave him some hope that he was the only one who felt comfortable using it. He picked up a rifle and slung it over his shoulder, tucked two hand guns into the back of his pants and cocked another one as he went to his mark.

A glance up and he saw Gally. He was actually smiling at Thomas, nodding his head. The others were watching him, curious expressions on their faces.

"I am Thomas Edison of District 10." There was a woman next to Gally, who was leaning forward. She was at the center, which lead him to believe she was the one of importance. The woman known as Brenda who was the Game Maker.

"You may proceed, Thomas." He gave a bow at her words before he heard the familiar beeps before the first target went flying. He had gone over this so many times with Gally. Deep breath and fire, don't let the sound startle you. Gally had taught him about guns, how many bullets each type of gun could hold. So as his first gun ran out he was quick to shift to the two he had tucked at his back, cocking and pulling the triggers without waiting a second. His feet moved on their own as he got into better positions to hit each target. Staying still was a bad idea, even if his movements were little and few. And when the guns ran out, he was quick to flip the rifle off his back and destroy the first target. The recoil caused a split reaction from him before he destroyed the remaining targets.

He nearly collapsed when he was finished. The sound of clapping was loud in his ears as he faced the judges, setting the butt of the rifle on the floor as he bowed once more. The sheer proud look on Gally's face made him feel like he could do this. He had confidence that he could win if they gave him a gun. But was that asking too much?

Thomas nearly collapsed into Newt's arms once he got out of there. The blond stroked his back, while Minho asked him how it went. It had been Gally's idea for him to use the gun and learn various ones. There was no telling if they would put out a gun, but Thomas needed to know various ones. Showing off his ability to use different types might have benefited his cause to receive his weapon. At least he hoped Gally was right that it would.

They had learned Sonya was pretty dangerous with anything with a blade. Her and Minho always seemed to have fun with knife fights, something Newt always rolled his eyes at. But even Thomas could see Newt was proud that both of them were fighters. He had confidence in them, it was clear in everything he did with them. Even Minho was getting closer to them, encouraging them more. No longer was he pessimistic about their chances, going as far to say that they were winners.

Waiting for Sonya felt like it was taking forever, but Minho just tried to give him a pep talk about the interview. They had already begun, but there was plenty of time for him to still change and get ready for his time under the spotlight. But nothing could really prepare him for what he was met with.

He nearly melted under the spotlight as he took his first couple steps out onto the stage, stumbling before regaining his composure. There were some light chuckles as Caesar greeted him. "You must be Thomas Edison, you tripped on reaping day, too. Is this a regular thing?" His smile was warm and welcoming. Thomas could hear Newt's voice telling him to take a deep breath and calm down. He just had to pretend that he was talking to the blond victor.

"I'm afraid it's becoming a very bad habit that I need to break, Caesar." He shook the older male's hand.

"You stopped to talk to a young boy on the way to stage on Reaping Day. Who was that?" Both settled into seats.

"My younger brother, Chuck. I told him to be brave." Thomas gazed at his lap, deep in thought for a second.

"He has a very brave brother." The words had him looking up. He was pretty sure the smile on his face was as sad as he felt. He would never get to see Chuck again, but he hoped he was making him proud.

"I'm not brave, Caesar. I'm a coward, too afraid to give up and call it quits without giving a fighting chance. I can just hope I make my brother and mother proud. That I can make Newt and Minho proud." After all, Newt was the one who had been supporting him this whole week. Minho had trained him to where he was now. And while he couldn't thank Gally, he also owed him a lot, too.

"How could anyone forget Newt and Minho. They're your mentors, are they not?" Thomas nodded. "Have either of them given you any advice?" The tribute stopped to think about it. Newt had given him a lot of advice, as had Minho and Gally.

"They gave me plenty of advice, Caesar, but it was the unspoken words that had a lasting effect." Thomas took a deep breath before looking at the audience. Be himself. He just had to be himself. "It's alright to be afraid and I can tell you that I'm deathly afraid. I don't want to die, but there's something I'm more afraid of. I'm afraid of losing who I am." He looked at Caesar once more.

"And what makes you think that you'll change?" The question was simple, pretty easy to answer.

"I'm not a cruel person, Caesar, and I don't want to be. I just want to stay the way I am right now. Right in this moment. Some silly boy from District 10 who wets himself at every surprise and somehow trips on air." Caesar placed a hand on his shoulder.

"I can see it in your eyes, Thomas, and I'm sure everyone out there does, too. We all know you're a good kid and we're all behind you." Thomas ducked his head as he muttered his thank you. The coo's from the audience made him aware that Newt was right. Being himself was the right thing to do. "Now how about showing the world your score?" The screen behind them showed his picture and a number. He scored a nine.

"Oh god..." He covered his mouth, tears in his eyes. He looked from the screen to Caesar to the audience and back to Caesar.

"With a score like that, Thomas my boy, you're going to do just fine out there." Thomas could barely remember shaking Caesar's hand before getting off the stage. But he remembered Newt's welcoming arms and Minho singing praises of his high score.

Why couldn't things stay like this? Even if he was crying into Newt's shoulder, just overwhelmed with everything. The blond just comforted him and Minho tried to get his thoughts off reality. That this was his last night in this normal life.

Tomorrow, everything was going to change.


	6. Bittersweet Goodbyes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The clock slowly ticks down, leaving Thomas to live his final hours ignoring what will happen when the sun rises.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess who has finally delivered some Newtmas. Now prepare to go without it again for ages. Okay, not ages. Just several chapters. If you're lucky.

Thomas couldn't sleep. He just kept walking around the apartment. He knew he should sleep, as it was going to be the last night he would sleep in a proper bed. However, he couldn't stay still. There were just too many thoughts in his head. It was like nothing wanted him to sleep.

"Tommy?" Newt's voice caused him to jump. Again his thoughts were causing trouble for him. "What's wrong? Can't sleep?" Thomas could see the tired expression on Newt's face. Tonight wasn't just hard on him, it was hard on Newt. "Let me guess, can't sleep. Minho's in his room playing darts and Sonya is crying." Thomas wasn't even going to question how Newt knew all this.

"It's our last night here."

"Come see the city." Newt took his hand and pulled him to the large picture window that overlooked the heart of the Capitol. "Out there are many people who fell in love with you tonight, Tommy. They're going to cheer for you. So no matter how bad it gets, know that there are people rooting for you." Newt squeezed his hand.

"Can I sleep with you tonight?" His request was a whisper. He didn't want to be alone. He was going to be alone until some career took him out.

"Sure, Tommy." He followed the blond to his room. The walls mimicked the ocean. It was odd and yet the sound of the waves was rather soothing. Between the sound of the waves and the feeling of Newt's fingers carding through his hair, Thomas fell asleep fairly quickly.

"Newt, you know how it's supposed to go. We aren't allowed to be attached." The sound of Minho's voice greeted Thomas as he headed to get breakfast. He had woken to an empty bed and Sonya hiding in the hallway.

"And you don't think I know that, Minho? Well fuck you." The sound of Newt throwing something caused the tributes to jump.

"I just know how you got after the last two Games, Newt. I don't want to see you like that again." The room went quiet before the sound of a chair screeching broke it. Someone had sat down.

"I know, Minho. I just think this year will be different." Newt's words were too low for Thomas and Sonya to hear.

"They've been going at it for five minutes," Sonya whispered to Thomas. Even she seemed concerned.

"I'm going to go wake them." Minho nearly collided with the duo as he approached the hallway. It was clear to him that they had been listening in.

"Anything good for breakfast?" Thomas asked as he brushed by Minho, deciding to pretend that the arguement he overheard hadn't happened. Sonya followed him and they all pretended that things were normal. After a couple minutes, Gally had even joined them. Thomas managed to eat, regardless of how nervous he was.

They were lead down the elevator and given new clothing to change into. Minho had gone with Sonya and it left Thomas with Newt. He was so afraid, he couldn't stand still.

"Tommy, calm down. You're making my leg hurt just watching you." Newt teased, but was also serious.

"I have ten minutes and then I go up that tube and then it's... It's a one way trip for twenty-three of us." Thomas gazed at the launching pad.

"I never asked before but didn't you bring a token?" Thomas shook his head at the question. "Well, here." Thomas watched as Newt removed his wristband. He caught the sight of the scars, which made his mind wonder if that was what Minho had mentioned before. Things clicked. Every death, Newt took it personally. He couldn't say a word as Newt placed the wristband on him.

"Hey, Newt?" Thomas licked his lips, nervous.

"Hm?" Newt glanced at him before getting pulled into a hug. "Tommy?"

"If me and Sonya don't make it back, don't blame yourself. You gave us a fighting chance. You, Minho, and Gally did everything you could." Thomas swallowed hard. Peacekeepers had moved into the room. They were watching them.

"You're going to come back, Tommy. Promise you'll come back." And Thomas knew what Minho had meant about Newt getting attached. He had gotten attached to. He wanted to return back to bed, back to the comfort the room had held. To spending his time with Newt and Minho and even Gally.

The sounds of the countdown began. A loud beeping sound with a flashing light. Thomas was going to be sick, but he could see the tears in Newt's eyes. "I have to go, Newt." If he didn't go now, it was going to be harder.

"Tommy." Newt followed him a step as Thomas stepped onto the platform, kissing him. It was Thomas' first kiss, and he wanted to believe it wouldn't be his last. Newt stumbled back as the tube closed around the other.

"I'm going to come back, Newt! I promise!" Both knew it was a lie, but didn't want to break what had just happened. Thomas just watched until Newt disappeared and he was greeted by the arena. The harsh light of day and the horrible heat of the desert were unwelcome guests. The Cornucopia rested in front of him, supplies scattered around the ground. He could see Sonya, who still had tears in her eyes but was ready to run. All of them were.

Then came the count down.

Three.

Two. 

One.


	7. Day One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The arena is not kind, that much Thomas realizes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Because it had to be done.
> 
> **Trigger warning! Thomas will cut himself to keep track of how many die.**
> 
> I really want to just put this here because I don't want anyone to freak out over it. That's the last thing I want. It's not very graphic, but that's besides the point.

Three.

Two. 

One.

The sound of the beginning of the Games sounded and everyone was off. Thomas didn't even watch Sonya, he had been eyeing everything in front of him. He had to be fast, he knew that. But his footsteps were slowed thanks to the sand. But he wanted to thank Minho, he didn't have as much trouble as other tributes. He could hear the sounds of a fight. But he had seen it, a sniper rifle.

He tackled the boy from District eleven as the other got close to his goal. He supposed he should thank the other, who had become a shield against an arrow that was probably meant for him.

Reality crashed to him in that second and Thomas fired the first shot. His breath was in his throat, the sound of the gun had halted things for a second and he saw Sonya. She took advantage of things to grab a backpack and run away. Shouting from a career had everything crashing back into full force. Thomas grabbed a bag before he just ran. He could only pray that there was something useful in it.

The sand was endless, or so it felt to him. But there were also buildings everywhere, in various stages of decay. There was no way he could find Sonya like this. It was impossible. But when he thought the heat was going to get to him, he found a building that seemed like it wasn't going to collapse at any second. Thomas was cautious as he entered, gun at the ready. He nearly fell through the floor on several occasions as he tried to get higher.

He collapsed when he felt he was high enough, dropping the rifle. He fell to his hands and knees, feeling the prickling of tears. His stomach was making its way higher, the urge to just lose his breakfast was growing stronger and stronger but he did his best to keep it down. "Oh god, oh god." Thomas muttered like a mantra as he ran his fingers through his hair. "I killed someone." He tried to calm down, taking deep breaths.

He calmed down enough to settle the rifle in a window so he could keep an eye outside. He decided to occupy his mind by finally opening his bag to look and see what he had. He wanted to cry at the sight of the water bottle full of water. He was thankful for the bag of jerky, as he figured there wouldn't be much in the way of food out here, a set of binoculars, and a smaller loaded gun. It made him wonder if every bag had a gun to combat the fact they had placed the sniper rifle out. But bullets? Now that was something Thomas wasn't sure about.

He ran his fingers through his hair before looking through his binoculars. It really was desert for as far as he could see, with decaying building to show it was meant to be a city. Just like the one he was in, all the buildings were in as bad shape if not worse. The sun would kill them if they didn't have shelter, which Thomas was thankful for. But food? That was going to be hard to find. At least, he thought that until he noticed a small animal running across the sand. He wanted to groan. While guns were good, they were loud. Any kill would alert people to where he was.

Kill.

Thomas glanced at his hands as earlier came back to mind. "I killed someone." It hadn't even dawned on him what he was about to do until it was over. He had just been acting quickly, wanting to survive. And that had caused him to actually shoot and kill someone. He had been the reason another tribute died. He couldn't help but run his fingers through his hair. "Oh god." He muttered to himself. He knew he needed to calm down.

"Deep breath, Thomas. It's going to be okay." It took a minute before he calmed down and he looked back out the window. It seemed like everyone else had found shelter and he perhaps would be alone. It left him wondering about Sonya. Did she escape? Or was she dead?

He shook his head at that and calmed down. Sonya was alive. He had heard only two cannons since he fled the Cornucopia and Sonya fled before him. The only way to know was to wait until the sun set. But that would be hours away.

Thomas decided that he couldn't just stay still. He began to explore the floors, mostly to see if they were as completely as abandoned as they seemed. Every so often, he noticed the cameras. They were watching him, not just those running this show but everyone in Panem. It made him duck his head as he entered yet another empty room.

He realized he was climbing higher and higher, almost falling through the floor on several occasions. However, exploring had him actually finding a dusty blanket. Thomas figured if the arena was like back home, the nights would get cold.

The tribute just sighed and wandered to the window. He was actually higher than before. Just looking down, it made him back up a couple steps. He grabbed the blanket before heading back down a couple floors to where he had been before. Setting back up a little closer to the ground but still high up.

His discovery had lead to a second stairwell out of here, although it was clear that parts of the stairwell had fallen. Overall, it looked like a dangerous route to take. There were also areas where the building had seemed to just cave in. Overall, he was just surprised the building hadn't collapsed yet. However, he figured it was safe since it wasn't making any noises as the wind outside picked up.

Thomas set up his gun in the window and just sat there, knees clutched tightly to his chest. Was he honestly just going to wait for death? With an arena this big, there was bound to be plenty of fights, plenty of deaths. So if he sat and waited, there was no harm. Right?

He scooted until his back was against the wall and he closed his eyes, out of the sunlight and in the shade. He had a perfect view of the door. It was only one way in and one way out. For some reason, this made him feel a lot safer. Forgetting that he was in a building that probably shouldn't be standing.

Thomas spaced out, just watching the door or occasionally outside, until he realized that the sun was slowly setting. He glanced around, knowing it was important to keep track of how many died. He mostly spotted sand until he noticed small remnants of the glass that used to be in the window. He grabbed it and cleaned it with the edge of his shirt.

Thomas removed Newt's wristband when the national anthem began to play before he moved his rifle so he could gaze out the window. With everyone picture of the deceased, he made a cut on his wrist. He grit his teeth with every mark, making sure to keep them shallow but not too shallow. He had to remember and this was the only way to keep from forgetting. Forgetting would be his downfall and he had to return back to Newt.

In total, half of the tributes had died in the blood bath. Thomas briefly wondered if it was a record, but didn't want to dwell on it. When the show of the dead was over, stars were their night light. Thomas set his rifle back up and leaned against the wall, gazing at his wrist. He was halfway to getting out, but it was only the first day.

Thomas took a deep breath before wrapping the wristband back around his wrist. He knew it was an unhealthy move but he refused to waste water on it. As long as he stayed out of the sand and kept it covered, he figured it would be fine.

Taking a deep breath, he could feel the coldness of the desert night slowly seeping into his bones. The outfit they shoved him into helped take the bite, but it was still cold. It had the brunet wrapping himself in the blanket before closing his eyes.

Sonya was alive, the tribute to the dead confirmed that. He had no clue where she was, if he should find her. Right now, he was too tired to do much except sleep.


	8. Reuniting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After leaving his hideout, Thomas runs into a familiar face and makes another ally.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Because they had to group back together sooner or later. There's so many ideas how the rest of the Games should go down and I wish I could choose all the ideas. Sadly, I can't.

Thomas was sprawled out on the floor of the building. He had his jacket tossed on the floor. It was too hot and he just couldn't stand the heat any more. It had been two days since he got into the arena. Two days of being holed up in the building. He had survived on rationing his water and the jerky, but he was running out of both.

He knew that he should suck it up and go out and explore. He needed to actually find a water source. There had to be one, right? But who knew where or how long it would take for him to find it. But if he didn't find it soon, then he would surely run out of what little water he had left.

But that would also would mean losing his hide out. Some sacrifices had to be made. The teen rubbed his face, making up his mind. He used the scope on the rifle to try to see if he could see anything, anyone. However, the area was clear.

Tugging his backpack on, then the rifle, Thomas settled on keeping the smaller gun out. He used his jacket to form a hat to block out the sun a little, and wrap the sleeves around his mouth and nose to block out the sand.

He slowly descended the floors, alert to anyone or anything. But he didn't encounter a thing until he hit the outside world. The wind was at full force and nearly knocked him over as he tried to make his way into the city. Would they place water towards the center? Or would they put it off to the side?

Thomas figured that going to the center was possibly the stupidest thing ever, but there had to be some sort of building that would be tall enough for him to get a better view of the surrounding area. So he set off, keeping as alert as possible. He really only noticed little lizards running about, occasionally a scorpion or snake.

All the creatures he saw had him avoiding them, mostly since he wasn't sure if they were poisonous or not. Last thing he needed was to be killed by an animal. But he also knew that there had to be some sort of water source if they were all surviving just fine. Or was that just wishful thinking on his end?

Thomas ducked into the entrance of a building when he saw the outline of two figures ahead. One was clearly being chased by another, the one being chased clearly in a panic. He waited for a minute to see if anyone else was coming, but nothing. He ran ahead, spotting two buildings that had collapsed into each other. They were both pretty tall, or at least one of them would have been had it not been resting partially in the other building.

But Thomas ran, nearly stumbling into the building as he heard the cannon go off. He chewed on his lip as he moved to the first room he could find. It was empty. He removed his wrist band to add another tally fast before placing the glass back into his pocket. He then began to climb the floors.

He was waiting to encounter someone. With the building being closer to the cornucopia, he figured that he would be killed on spot by the careers. However, nothing.

That was until he got closer towards the top of the building. He nearly fired and killed the person who tackled him. The blade of a knife was at his throat as he stared into familiar eyes.

"Thomas?" The blade was removed from his throat as the jacket around his head was slowly pushed away to reveal his face.

"Sonya." He was relieved to see her, just wanting to pull her into a hug. She was the one who started it.

"I'm so happy to see you." Thomas noticed the little set up. There was a blanket, a lantern, and some supplies set up. But what Thomas also noticed was the other girl sitting on the other side of the room, looking quite afraid. Sonya seemed to notice his gaze. "This is Teresa from District 3. Teresa, this is Thomas. He's from my district." Teresa clearly relaxed at learning who Thomas was.

"Nice to meet you," Thomas smiled at her as he set his things down.

"Where have you been, Thomas?" Sonya was curious, the sound of her voice made that clear.

"I think I was on the outskirts of the city. I just ran after the blood bath. Got as far as I could and holed up there." Sonya nodded.

"What brought you out?" Teresa was the one who voiced the question, which had the other two glancing at her.

"We're in a desert. You can only get so far with a single bottle of water so I came to the center to climb as high as I could to try and find a water source." Sonya and Teresa seemed to consider it for a minute.

"It's dangerous in this area, going out. The careers have been scouting the area and we're constantly on the move." Sonya glanced at her lap. "All I have is this knife. I can't defend us against a bow and arrow or a sword with it. If I had something bigger, maybe..." Thomas could see the frustration written on Sonya's face. She felt weak. He felt weak and he had better weapons than a knife.

"You got a gun." Teresa was eyeing his weapons. It made Sonya's attention snap to him.

"You did a first for our District, you killed someone in the blood bath." Thomas flinched at that, but Sonya didn't seem to notice. "But you allowed me to get a bag. I guess Minho running us into the ground came in handy." Sonya motioned towards the supplies. "I've got two bottles of water, sunglasses, sun screen, some basic medical supplies, and a pocket knife. The lantern was how I found Teresa. She was dumb and had it going the first night. We found the blanket exploring another building."

Thomas let out a breath he hadn't been known he was holding. So not all bags held guns. That was actually good to hear since it meant that it was possible that none of the careers had one. "I got a bottle of water, a bag of jerky, binoculars, a blanket, and a smaller gun." Thomas shared his contents with the others. He looked at District 3, she was just gazing at her lap. It was clear that she had just flat out ran from the cornucopia. Thomas didn't blame her.

"What are you good at?" Thomas couldn't exactly remember her score.

"I'm from the District of technology. Computers, mainly. I can use a machete." She shrugged and Thomas remembered her. She got pushed around by the careers, abandoned by her own partner from District 3. There was also the fact that she had scored a five.

"Well, we're stronger in a group so right now, we all stick together. Got that?" Thomas didn't know why he felt the need to take charge, but neither girl complained.

Teresa played with her necklace. It looked like a piece of a computer. Thomas kept on watch while the girls talked. Thomas frowned when he saw a figure in the distance, but it wasn't heading towards them. It made him relieved that they were safe for now.

"I'm going to climb higher and see what I can see. I'll be back." Sonya looked like she was going to say something but then just settled on nodding. Thomas grabbed both his guns and binoculars, leaving everything else behind, before climbing to the roof of the building.

The heat of the day was much worse up here. The roof burned under him as hs walked to the edge. It looked like desert as far as he could see. The view didn't change as he used his binoculars. Three directions held the same outcome. However, when looking at the fourth, things changed. He saw it. Back at the cornucopia. There actually was a hidden water source. It was a small pond, but it was clear that it had to come from a larger source as there seemed to be water flowing into it. Otherwise it would have dried up. But where? How? Thomas couldn't see which direction it was coming from, but figured it had to be further in that direction.

He figured today wasn't the day to figure it out. The sun was already slowly setting. It had Thomas returning down the flights to try and locate Sonya and Teresa. He found them after about ten minutes of hard searching. Sonya was on edge until she learned it was just him.

"There's water by the cornucopia. It's a pond and has to come from a larger water source. I want to find where it comes from. If we can, then we don't have to worry about a water problem." They would have an endless supply of water, which would be nice. Water also meant animals would visit it and they could try their hand at catching them.

"Alright, Tom." Teresa's voice surprised Sonya. "It's better than staying here and waiting to be found by the careers or die of dehydration and hunger." Thomas went to his bag and tugged out his bag of jerky. He had been conserving it, but chucked the remnants towards the girls. It was clear they hadn't eaten since the day they arrived.

"Eat. You'll need strength. We'll go when you guys feel up to it." Thomas didn't actually want to go. The chances of running into the careers were too great. But, like Teresa said, it was better than staying here. The chances of dying of dehydration were too great.

The sky outside the tiny window in the room become lit by a screen, the national anthem playing. Thomas gazed at it from his spot, Sonya and Teresa not moving either. They watched the face of the deceased. It was only the boy from District 3, which had Teresa in tears. That must have been the boy from earlier that he saw running.

Thomas was glad when the sky darkened once more. He tugged his blanket around his shoulders and leaned against the wall. He could see Teresa and Sonya huddled together to share their blanket for warmth.

"Tom?" Teresa's voice surprised him, but he saw both girls were watching him. "Chances of all of us living are slim and yet here we are. Why?" Thomas thought about it for a minute.

"Because we're stronger in numbers. Alone, the careers would pick us off." Teresa looked unsure about the answer for a minute before just nodding. "You two sleep, I'll keep watch." He rubbed his eyes before getting to his feet, tugging the rifle onto his back. Sonya looked like she hadn't slept in days and Teresa looked dead on her feet. If they were going to move, they needed to be rested.

"Thomas?" Sonya's voice was whispered. Thomas offered her a smile.

"I'm moving to the doorway so I can hear if anyone reaches our floor. Go to sleep, Sonya." She nodded as he sat in the doorway. He kept his gun ready, leaning it against him. He watched down the hallway, it was a boring watch.

Mostly, he regretted falling asleep.


	9. Loses And Gains

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes you lose things but pick up others, for Thomas it's all about surviving the hand fate gave him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two chapters in one day? I must like you guys or something. Haha. ~~I do because some of you review and other leave kudos and that totally makes my day~~

The sounds of screaming startled Thomas awake. The sun was barely up, that he was sure. He scrambled back into the room and to the window. It was clear the sounds were right outside the building. He used his binoculars to see what was going on. Two kids were going at it outside the building. He knew one to be a career, but knew the other wasn't. But the career has a sword and they could use it.

The sound of laughter was echoing in the building. It was clear to Thomas that several people had entered the building. The sound of voices, mocking whoever could hear them. They were getting louder and louder.

Thomas looked at Sonya and Teresa, both who looked nervous. "There are careers in the building." They didn't travel alone. They were a pack, like wolves. "The one outside has a sword. If we're lucky, we can get it." He felt bold, that they had the upper hand.

He passed the smaller gun and binoculars to Sonya. "Thomas, what are you about to do?" She took them.

"Get out of here with Teresa. Use the building attached to this and get out of here. I'll find you two again, alright?" The two wanted to object. "I'm going to buy you some time." It was clear this was a suicide mission to get at least two of them out alive rather than all of them die. "Now go." Teresa and Sonya packed up as quickly as they could before rushing out the door. Thomas set up his gun as the screams slowly died, a cannon firing. Thomas then fired his weapon, almost wanting to curse when he missed. Surprise allowed him to make it on his second try. But it also meant he had wasted a bullet and he couldn't allow that. The sound of a second cannon seemed louder to him than the first.

He could hear shouting and yells, they seemed to echo throughout the building. Thomas grabbed his things, stuffing them into his bag, and ran out of the room. He could hear the loud footsteps, or was that just his heart? When the sounds seemed to get louder, the shouts sounding right behind him. But it didn't help when he fell through the floor. Three floors to be exact. He could hear laughter as he started to move. He was slightly dazed, but aware he was now below the careers.

Everything hurt as he moved, it was clear the careers had found him. He had just moved when an arrow hit the floor where he had just been. Thomas struggled to his feet, the sound of laughter and teasing clear to his ears.

"Go after him."

"Don't let him escape."

"I want his gun."

The words continued as he made his way into the nearest room. The sound of people trying to follow his steps was clear, especially when he heard the sound of rubble hitting the ground. Thomas felt like a mouse caught in a trap.

The only way out was the window, which revealed that he wasn't even close to the other building and it was a long ways to the ground. But he knew ht had to act quick as he heard the first feet hit the floor. Thomas tried to figure out if he could hide, if he could kill the person who came. But he froze when the girl came into sight. The shock of a dagger to the shoulder had him actually falling out the window.

"God, I'm such an idiot." The rush of falling was something Thomas didn't want to feel. It was actually quite terrifying, worse than acknowledging there was a dagger sticking out of his shoulder. There was nothing supporting him, nothing to tell him how long until he hit the ground. But something grabbed him, slowing his descent.

Thomas dangled there, tears in his eyes as he gazed at the person who grabbed him. The girl had a bright smile on her face. "Hey there, shank. I got you, don't worry." She was hanging halfway out the window to keep hold of him. "God you're heavy, lose some weight." She pulled him into the building and it left Thomas confused and reaching to get his gun.

"Who are you?" The girl seemed to huff but sigh.

"I'm Harriet, Thomas Edison, and you better remember the name." The words of shouting were loud. Arguing from above. "We should get moving before those guys catch up with us." She grabbed Thomas' hand and tugged him out of the room. She was ignoring the dagger for now.

His body wanted to protest with every movement. The injuries from falling through the floors had surely left injuries that the adrenaline was covering for. However, Harriet wasn't giving him much of a choice except to follow her.

The heat of day hit him like a ton of bricks. This was worse than back home. The sun had nothing on this, this was just brutal. But he pushed on, getting a better look at Harriet. She was certainly taller than him, and if Thomas remembered right she was from District 11. She had a machete in her free hand, eyes darting everywhere as they made their way through the desert.

Thomas tripped in the sand after a good ten minutes of walking, his gun falling a couple inches in front of him. He screamed in pain as the dagger dug in deeper. He went to pull it out, but Harriet stopped him. His body was just in pain, just from earlier and the fact the sand was extremely hot against every part of his body it touched. Harriet just helped him to his feet, ignoring the fact he actually was crying out of pain.

"Jesus, Thomas. Can't you even keep up? I should kill you on spot." She handed Thomas his gun.

"Why haven't you? And there's a fucking dagger slowly killing me!" The look Harriet gave him had him wanting to back away in fear she really would kill him.

"Because you're going to help me, that's why." She began to walk again, ending the conversation. Thomas was still for a second before rushing after her. "Besides, if we pull the dagger out without being in a spot away from the sand, you'll risk getting sand in the wound. You're no good to me dead." Oh how Thomas wanted to complain that he would probably die from bleeding out before they even reached wherever they were going.

"You're one crazy, shank. I'll give you that." They made their way towards a pile of rubble. Harriet moved aside a sign that revealed an entrance to an underground route.

"I had to get my friends to escape." He followed her and she closed the entrance behind them. It was completely dark as they walked. Thomas used the wall to help guide himself.

"Yeah. You'd be a pretty little pancake right now had I not been there." And if he hadn't died, which would have been the better option, he would have pretty much broken a lot of bones and been in intense pain.

"So what is it that I'm supposed to help you with?" Curiosity got the better of him and he had to know. Harriet was quiet as they walked, but he could see light ahead of them. He wanted to run to see what was at the end, but didn't. It could be dangerous.

The sound of a cannon went off as they reached the exit and Thomas tried to keep a mental note. Two died today. Two were dead.

But that sound was overshadowed by what he saw. "Welcome to hell, Thomas." Before them was what probably appeared to be water from afar, but was nothing but a sea of blood. It had Thomas throwing up in the sand next to him. "Don't you wonder where they got all that blood from?" Thomas continued to toss up what little was in his stomach.

"Oh god." Thomas rubbed at his mouth, gazing at the female tribute. She was staring out to the distance.

"I want your help killing one certain tribute. He's from District 4 and he killed my friend in front of my eyes, but got away before I could kill him." Thomas gazed at Harriet.

"How?" Harriet tugged her goggles up to cover her eyes, tossing a pair at Thomas.

"Last I saw, he had a spear and can wield it. I can't take him on alone, that much was clear. We were interupted when _they_ came crashing through." Harriet's eyes narrowed, as if remembering something painful. "But you help me kill him and we're even. I need you and your gun." Thomas took a deep breath. He was being asked to purposely kill someone for revenge.

"I don't know..." Harriet was suddenly in his face.

"You don't know? You don't have a choice, _Thomas._ You should have watched the Games four years ago. If you did, you would know our Districts are allies. Or have you and your District forgotten Alby and what he did for Newt?!?" Thomas froze. The name sounded familiar, but had trouble recalling a face. All he remembered was someone saving Newt. Had that person been Alby?

"Alright, alright." Thomas swallowed hard and tugged on the goggles. "Let's get this over with. I have Sonya and Teresa to get back to." The relief that passed on Harriet's face had Thomas doing a double take.

"You're a good guy, Thomas." The female wandered over, placing a hand against his shoulder before pulling the dagger out. She used the dagger to cut off both sleeves of her jacket. She flipped them inside out, folding the first to press against the wound and use the second to secure it in place. She tugged the jacket back on, although it now looked more like a vest. "So I'll give you a little tip when we're done." The two headed back out into the desert. Thomas found it easier to combat the desert with the goggles, although his arm had gone completely numb.

"Don't you have more supplies that your machete and goggles?" Harriet shook her head.

"I lost them when District 4 came crashing into my lodging. Had to make a quick escape and there was no time to grab anything of importance." The words that she hadn't even said goodbye to her teammate hung in the air.

"We'll get you more." Harriet just shrugged as they continued on.

"Won't matter much after we get Ben." They settled into silence, mostly to conserve energy.

The sun was starting to set as they reached the center of the city once more. Harriet seemed to know exactly where she was going, which almost made Thomas suspicious. "You know where we're going?" Harriet nodded.

"If he hasn't moved, then he should be by the spring." Thomas shifted his gun, ready to fire at a moments notice. He could feel his hands shaking a little.

"That building..." Harriet pointed to it. Thomas went from gazing at the spring of blood to the building the female was point at. He only got a quick glimpse before Thomas came face to face with a spear heading straight towards him.


	10. The Warning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ben wasn't the only one Thomas should be watching out for.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry the chapter is short but I promise that it's short with a good reason.

Thomas kissed the ground pretty hard, Harriet cursing next to him. He glanced up to see someone exiting the building. He was taller than him, slight muscles making him look a little less lanky. He was dressed the same as them except his was covered in dry blood and sand.

So this was District 4? Thomas took a quick glance before scooting away as Harriet got to her feet.

"Scared now, Ben? Scared because you don't have the element of surprise anymore?" She mocked him before charging. Thomas was just left to watch. It was clear that Ben had strength and knowledge of fighting as he was good at holding his own against Harriet and her machete. What he hadn't expected was for her to get disarmed.

He felt useless. He couldn't exactly fire his gun without running the risk of also shooting Harriet. They were partners right now, well he was simply her back up. But they were both against Ben, a common enemy in this game.

The sound of a bone snapping had Thomas yelling. "Harriet!" And then there was the sound of an arrow sinking into flesh. Thomas' eyes were wide as he stared at the arrow sticking out of Harriet's back. There wasn't much thought before he fired the shot into Ben's head, tears in his eyes. A cannon sounded above them. He started to move, an arrow sinking right into his leg.

"Thomas!" The voice distracted him for a second, but he figured it would also distract whoever had the bow and arrows. He aimed where he believed the arrows came from, finding a girl actually perched atop the cornucopia. She was looking elsewhere. He used the scope to line up perfectly.

"I'm sorry," Thomas muttered before pulling the trigger. The girl dropped quickly, almost as fast as Thomas dropped his gun. Pain raced through him, the sound of his pounding heart and the blood flowing in his ears louder than the sound of a second cannon fire. Thomas made his way over to Harriet. He snapped the arrow in half to roll her over a little.

"Is he dead?" Harriet's voice was quiet, her eyes watching Thomas.

"I killed him," his voice caught in his throat.

"I promised you a tip, didn't I." Harriet coughed up blood.

"Tell me when we get you help. Sonya has medical supplies." Thomas was frantic as the two girls were rushing over.

"It's okay." Harriet smiled. "I wanted to kill you, but you're too good for these games, Thomas." Harriet took a deep breath. "Trust no one, Thomas." The female winced in pain, her body shuddering for a moment. "Most of all, the dead don't stay dead."

"What do you mean by that?" Thomas wanted answers to that. What was she talking about? But he noticed that she had stopped breathing. "Harriet?" He placed a hand on her shoulder, lightly shaking her. "Harriet." He repeated again, but nothing. Her eyes just seemed to be staring at nothing, unblinking. A cannon sounded, confirming what Thomas didn't want to believe.

"Tom." Teresa was trying to pull him away. The sound of a hovercraft could be heard and they needed to go.

"I got his gun, we should just get inside." Sonya and Teresa both moved him into the building. They found more supplies, things left behind by Ben. Thomas was jolted back into reality when he felt them touch the arrow in his leg.

"Tom, quiet." Teresa snapped the arrow. Sonya covering Thomas' scream with her hands. Teresa slowly pulled the arrow out. "That's a lot of blood." Thomas couldn't even hold back the whimper that left his lips.

"Roll up his pant leg." Sonya dug through her bag for the bandages. "You're lucky I got the bag with medical supplies, Thomas." They patched up his leg as best as they could. It was all too clear that Thomas had passed out from the pain, so they let him rest.

"He's not going to be able to walk like that. That probably destroyed his muscle." Teresa and Sonya were watching out the window, the tribute to the dead playing over head.

"We're not leaving him behind." Sonya glanced at Thomas. "I owe him."

"Don't think of it as leaving him behind, Sonya. Only one of us can live, remember. There's three of us and four of them. Thomas is the bait." Teresa's voice was quiet as she laid out the plan.

Sonya took a deep breath before nodding. "Alright." She wandered back over towards Thomas. He was sweating a lot more than usual. "He's burning up," she muttered as she felt his forehead.

"All the more reason to go through with this plan, Sonya. He's most likely dying from infection. It's probably his wrist." Teresa wandered over. Sonya peeled off the wristband, wanting to be sick at the sight. It was just a mess of blood and scars. It was red, agitated, and bleeding from having started to stick to the wrist band. She just quietly placed the wristband back on.

"He's going to die anyway..." Sonya muttered to herself, trying to make herself believe this was the right thing.

"This is easier than letting him die of infection, Sonya." The girls looked at each other.

"Alright."


	11. Collapse

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thomas gets a reminder to survive, but the world around them begins to collapse... literally.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hahaha. I so laughed when you predicted about the gift, Sydney. 
> 
> So this is the second to last chapter before the end of the Games. I was really excited about the comments that I had to leave you with another cliff hanger. Last chapter for the Games will be posted tomorrow just because I'm a jerk who wants to leave you with an intense cliffhanger.

Thomas was in and out the next couple hours, barely remembering much. He just felt sick to his stomach. He reached for his bag to grab his bottle of water, the urge to be sick was so strong. His leg was killing him. He could faintly hear the sound of something beeping. It was a noise he knew from watching the other games. It meant help.

He noticed that both Teresa and Sonya were asleep, so he decided to move himself. There was just so much pain, from his arm and his leg. He used his gun as a sort of crutch to move to the window. The item was stuck to a piece of the building that was jutting out. Thomas reached out to grab it, wanting to cry in pain. But he eventually grabbed it.

He noticed movement below him, wondering what it was. He tugged the item back into the room and opened it. The first thing that caught him was a note.

_You promised to return to me.  
-Newt_

Thomas relaxed against the wall below the window. He wondered what Newt had sent, how he got it. Inside was a bottle of water, a small packet, and a smaller container. He nearly died at realizing the packet was ibuprofen. He took the pills with the water before gazing at the other container. The smell of soup was strong as he opened it, making his stomach grumble.

The liquid was hot, but he didn't care. It was just welcomed, although his stomach wanted to fight it. He didn't even bother with the spoon, not having the patience for it. He finished about half of it before a noise startled him. It sounded like scurrying feet.

Thomas closed the container and moved back to put it in his bag, placing it with the water. He shook Sonya and Teresa.

"Thomas?" Thomas hushed them.

"Someone is in the building." They were quiet and it was clear it was more than just one person.

"We need to go higher." Teresa muttered as they began to grab what they could, shoving things into the backpacks.

"A room with one way in and out," Sonya whispered, trying to help Thomas as they left out the door. Every step was agonizing pain for Thomas, as he nearly tripped every couple steps. But they kept climbing higher and higher. The sound of feet in the stairwell had their hearts racing.

The sound of laughter chilled their bones. The laugh wasn't human. It couldn't be. If it was, they were insane.

They pushed open the door to a random floor and went to the end of the hallway and into the room. They shut the door and locked it. The trio rested against the far wall.

"What is out there?" Sonya's voice shook.

"The dead..." Thomas whispered, leaning his head back. His eyes were threatening to close.

"What?" Teresa's voice was a whisper.

"Harriet warned me..." Thomas took a deep breath. The room was spinning and it made him want to be sick. He was apparently starting to fall over as Sonya helped him sit back up. "The dead don't stay dead." The three were quiet after that.

The sound of a scream followed by the sound of a cannon were loud. The trio were quiet, Teresa pointing Thomas' gun at the door. They just waited, and waited, and waited.

The sounds of voices flooded the floor. Sonya glanced at the others, wanting to curse that Thomas was down for the count again. But Teresa was watching the door. The sound of the door handle moving had their attention, their breath catching in their throats.

The sound of laughter was on the other side of the door, the handle just moving. The lock kept it from moving completely. No words were ever said from the other side of the door, just laughter.

The building began to shake, the handle stopping its movement. Then came the sound outside the window. A cloud of dust and dirt came flying into the window. The loud sound of a building collapsing had them covering their ears. However, there was no sound of a cannon. Was it planned to be destroyed?

"They're going to destroy buildings now. There's about six of us left? I think." Teresa whispered to Sonya. "They do this towards the end every Game. They drive everyone to the center." And create a giant show for the world. Create one final blood bath until only one was standing.

"We're already at the center so we should be safe from the building being destroyed... Right?" Sonya swallowed hard.

"I'd say yes. But from what's on the other side of that door..." The laughter was still there, but now it was scratching at the door. "I can't say." They just waited, and waited. The sun began to come up when the laughter and scratching began to die down. Sonya and Teresa finally relaxed, their eyes closing.

Thomas actually awoke as they were falling asleep. He was dazed, unsure where they were. He went to stand, but then memories came back to him. He gazed out the window, just staring at the bodies that were moving through the sand. They seemed to disappear into the Cornucopia, which had Thomas wondering about it. Mostly he wondered if he was seeing things right.

The sound of another building collapsing woke Sonya and Teresa up. Thomas just watched as building after building were dropping. It kicked up the dust and dirt. Soon the entire city was just a cloud of dust. The loud crashing sound continued, only a single cannon going off until it stopped.

Most of the day was spent with their backs to the window, choking on the dusty air that came through. Then the building began to shake.

"Oh god no." The trio were up and moving. There was no real time to think about much. Unsure if it was really their building that was going down this time or the one next to them. Thomas trailed behind them, Sonya trying to get him to move faster.

"We should go up." Thomas insisted while Teresa kept saying they should go down.

"You can go down. I'm going up." Thomas began to climb, the sound of a building collapsing was loud in the stairwell. He also heard the sound of feet following him. Sonya was soon helping him up the stairs, Teresa following behind them.

"Why up?" Sonya was curious.

"The buildings have been imploding, collapsing in on themselves. The only hope of surviving is being on top. Regardless, we'll be stuck under rubble, but it'll be less. At the bottom, you have the whole building on you." Thomas explained as they reached the top floor. Then it felt like they were simply falling.

The first thing that awoke Thomas was just the intense pain. Then came the heat of the sun. There was just blood everywhere. He wanted to move but everything hurt. It hurt worse than the dagger, worse than the arrow.

"I'm sorry, Newt." He muttered.


	12. The Last One Standing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Games draw to an end.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't even know, guys. Easter on Hex is hectic and it's just the first day. ~~But so much fun~~
> 
> Right so this is not the end. This hasn't ended and there will also be two prequels to come, one set for Newt and one set for Minho. There will also be a couple one shots to come, eventually. But yes, this isn't over. At least not yet anyway.

"I'm sorry, Newt." Thomas muttered. He wondered if all his actions had made Newt proud. If Gally and Minho were trying to hold his mentor together. He swore he could hear them yelling his name, telling him to get up. He fought against the pain, getting to his feet. The world spun, his body screaming with pain. He honestly couldn't feel a single part of his body, but chalked it up to shock. "Sonya? Teresa?" He looked around, trying to find them.

Had a cannon gone off while he wasn't paying attention. He shifted through the rubble near him. The sun was setting and he had to work quickly before dark. The urge to be sick had him pausing. The sight of blood dripping from his mouth had him holding a hand to his stomach.

"Thomas." The voice had him forgetting about himself. He began to move, finding Sonya as she called his name. She had her hand sticking out, fingers moving.

"Sonya, oh god." She tugged her hand in.

"Get me out of here." Thomas tried to move the rubble. It looked like it was attempting to cave in. The sound of another building dropping made him brace for what he knew was to come. Harsh, warm air came flying past him. It blurred his vision for a minute before he worked to free Sonya. Tears were in his eyes, the pain intense, when he finally freed a big enough hole for her to fit through.

"Where's Teresa?" Sonya shrugged. She was bleeding from her head, one arm hanging at a weird angle, clearly out of its socket.

"I don't know." Sonya glanced around them. "Everything is gone. Our weapons, our hideouts." Thomas noticed it, too. All that was left was the cornucopia. They had their backpacks, but there weren't weapons in them. They were buried under rubble.

"We should get out of here." Thomas' voice slurred before he collapsed. Sonya shook him and he opened his eyes.

"Come on, Thomas. There's still two careers out there and Teresa." It confirmed that no one had died when the buildings began to collapse. Sonya helped him up and they moved towards the cornucopia. "Don't trust her, Thomas." It took them a couple minutes to climb atop the structure. Sonya moved to grab the bow and arrow that were still atop it, she smiled brightly when she brought it over.

"So Teresa..." Thomas' voice was quiet as he moved his bag off his back, opening it up slowly. His fingers and arms felt like they were on fire as he tugged out the container of soup to hand to Sonya, who accepted it.

"She wants to have the careers kill you." Sonya whispered before taking a sip of the soup. "Oh god, this is amazing. Where did you get this?" Her voice was louder and Thomas smiled.

"Newt." Sonya laughed.

"He's a good guy, Newt is. So's Minho." She smiled brightly. "You're a good guy, too, Thomas. Looking out for me when we're supposed to be enemies. Only one of us can live." Thomas had been ignoring that fact since the beginning. "I'm not so good." Sonya whispered as she tugged her knife out from her pocket. Thomas was surprised. He figured she had lost it in the collapse of the building.

"Sonya?" His voice shook and she pushed it towards Thomas.

"You're weaponless." Thomas wanted to say that he had a piece of glass, but he was slightly aware said piece was stuck into his leg. The sound of that eerie laughter was heard and Thomas grabbed the knife. Sonya winced as she took up the bow.

The sun never finished setting, it was stuck at dusk. They could see those that were emerging from the cornucopia and Thomas' breath was stuck in his throat when he noticed one in particular.

"Harriet?" He swallowed hard.

"They're supposed to be dead," Sonya backed up closer towards Thomas.

"The dead don't stay dead," Thomas repeated the words, now understanding Harriet's words. Most seemed to be patrolling the area, a couple were watching them. They could hear a fight after a couple minutes. Before two figures came running towards the cornucopia.

Sonya let fly an arrow, missing the two figures horribly. But they watched as one of the undead tackled one of the runners. The screams were loud and many seemed to flank on the tribute who had been taken down.

"Cannibals." Thomas stared, ready to be sick at the sight. The other tribute kept running, swinging an ax at those who got in her way. Sonya kept firing arrow after arrow, trying to hit her until she did. The sound of a cannon was loud, overpowering the dying cries of the other tribute. A second cannon went off.

Sonya tried to grab another arrow but was out. She glanced at Thomas, she smiled at him. "It's us Thomas, we're left." She glanced at the former tributes trying to climb up to get them. Whispered words were hard to understand. The word crank was being tossed around, but it didn't make much sense to Thomas.

"You can kill me." Thomas wiped blood from his lips. He could feel his body cramping. He knew his entire body was probably bruised, most things broken from the building collapse.

Sonya moved closer, picking up the knife that Thomas was holding out to here. "There's still Tere-" The sound of a gunshot had Thomas' head spinning. "-sa." Sonya's body fell forward onto Thomas. Behind her was Teresa.

"Sonya?" He shook her body but noticed the hole in the back of her head. Her breathing was shallow, slowly dying out. "Teresa?" Sonya's words of not trusting Teresa came back to his mind. The tribute wandered forward, gun trained on Thomas' head.

"It's nothing personal, Tom. Only one of us could live." She was bleeding, more than Sonya had been but not as injured as him. The sound of the gun had attracted the beings that Thomas decided were best called cranks. One was trying to grab and pull Sonya's body away from him and he just pulled her closer.

"Just do it!" Thomas shouted. He couldn't put up much of a fight. The edges of his vision were fuzzy and he constantly was blinking to make it go away. But Teresa just approached him, resting the barrel against his forehead.

"Honestly, it's nothing personal." Teresa tugged at Sonya's body, narrowing her eyes at realizing the other was still alive somehow. Thomas moved, using all his strength. He knocked them all off the structure. He saw the top of the cornucopia get further and further away as he fell. The ground had rushed up to meet him. But he could hear Teresa's scream, muffled over the sound of a cannon. But she continued to scream. Cranks filled his vision as Thomas tried to move. However his vision was swimming, his body wanting to give in. He could feel the first set of teeth tear into his skin.

He grabbed and pulled the piece of glass out of his pocket, knocking away the first crank. But there were too many of them. The sounds of Teresa's screams were silenced, suddenly replaced by the sound of gurgles that ended. A cannon going off.

The cranks stopped, as if something suddenly turned their brains off. They retreated back into the cornucopia, leaving Thomas just lying there. He wondered if his insides had been pulled out. Everywhere was on fire, and Thomas wanted to just cry. The taste of blood was the only thing entering his mind. He began to cough, choking on the blood that was flooding his mouth.

The anthem playing and the screen above him were bright as darkness finally settled on the arena. Thomas wanted to reach up, the screen looked so close, but his arm had no strength to it. But he smiled. He won.

A jolt seemed to raise through his body. Pain everywhere, he gasped for air but was welcomed only by his own blood. Darkness claimed him.


	13. Winning Comes At A Price

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thomas wakes but nothing really feels the same.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the wait. I came down with the flu and haven't really been wanting to get out of bed so was reading fics on my phone. I'm heading to PA for a couple days so next chapter should go up sometime next week.
> 
> Okay so this hasn't even been read through for errors so I take full responsibility for my horrible spelling and grammar. I just rushed to get this up for you before my trip.

He could feel pressure on his hand. It was the first thing that alerted him to even being awake. He swore he could hear voices but they sounded so far away. It was like he was underwater and he just couldn't break past the surface to understand what was going on.

"Tommy?" Bright light flooded his vision. It forced him to shut his eyes, able to hear the groan that left his lips. Was that really his voice? "Come on, Tommy. It's dimmer now." The voice was gentle, soothing. The promise of a not so bright room had him trying again.

As promised, the room was actually a bit dimmer. He could still make out those around him. First his eyes fell on Newt, who was clutching his hand and smiling. It was a proud smile, tears falling down his cheeks.

"Welcome back, shank." Thomas' attention moved to Minho, who was settled on his other side. He looked like he hadn't slept in days and was ready to pass out, although Newt had looked worse. Next to Minho was Gally, who was watching silently.

"I won?" His throat hurt to speak.

"You won," Newt responded. Thomas felt his body relax.

"Oh god..." The urge to be happy was quickly overwhelmed by the sadness of knowing everyone else was dead. Several he had killed, including Teresa and Sonya. Sure, Sonya had been shot, but her death was sealed when he knocked them off the cornucopia.

"Tommy? Hey, it's alright." Newt was closer in a heartbeat.

"It's called survival's guilt. You'll get used to it." Minho muttered, but Thomas wasn't sure he would get used to it. If he could get over it. However, he knew that you didn't get over something so traumatic without scars. Newt and Minho were living proof.

"They've been pushing off your victory interview with Caesar due to your injuries, but they can't do that anymore." Gally's voice was gentler than Thomas could remember. It wasn't all that fitting.

"Alright," Thomas muttered as he tried to sit up. He could feel Newt's hands on his body, trying to help him sit. "Why don't I feel pain?"

"They've been pumping morphling into your body since they pulled you out of the arena. They say it's the only thing that stopped your body from going into shock, it wasn't able to register how damaged it was." Minho's voice had him trying to look himself over. His body looked rather healthy, including his wrist which didn't even have a scar on it.

"What were my injuries?" Thomas wasn't sure he wanted to know.

"Your wrist, to begin with, but you knew of that. Your shoulder was a mess and so deeply infected you got blood poisoning. Blood poisoning, Thomas! You could have died, should have died. Had Newt not gotten you those pills and the water. They slowed it down, but you've been having your blood filtered for the last couple days, most of it replaced." Minho had begun to pace as he spoke. "They repaired the muscles in your leg and are hoping that you won't have a limp as long as it heals correctly. They stitched you right up from those cranks. You're currently a walking lightning rod, you have wires running on pretty much every rib, a rod up your spine, and screws and a plate keeping your shoulder in place. Most they believe they'll be able to remove, with the exception of your shoulder." Thomas reached up to feel his shoulder.

"So I'm a walking tin man." He tried to joke, but no one laughed.

"Let's go. We need to get you ready for Caesar." Newt muttered as he helped Thomas out of bed. Minho and Gally left the room. Thomas was surprised at the fact his outfit was rather simple, but was thankful for that. It hurt every time he had to move to put the clothes on.

"What happens to me now, Newt?" His voice was quiet, causing Newt to pause in buttoning his shirt.

"Now, you will go out there and do that bugging interview with Caesar." Newt went back to finishing the buttons.

"But then what happens after?" That was what Thomas wanted to know more. Newt was quiet as he grabbed Thomas' pants.

"We return back to our District for a bit, then you go on a tour of every District, starting in 12 all the way through the Capitol. There, you will attend a ball. You will be paraded around like a prized pig for the world to watch. Your sponsors will want to talk to you, meet you. You will grin and bear it, every last bit of it." Newt's voice was emotionless as he helped Thomas into his pants. "You will hate every last second of it, want to throw up. But you must never show weakness." Thomas wondered if Newt was talking on a personal level. That all of that had happened to Newt.

"Newt..." The blond victor had moved to fix the tails on Thomas' jacket.

"As good as we're going to get you right now." Newt seemed to be avoiding talking about it. "Let's go." Thomas grabbed Newt's hand, happy when the blond didn't pull away. He felt like there was some sort of wall between them since he woke up. He could see that Newt was worried about him, that much was clear.

His body felt like jello as he walked, like his limbs would give out at a moments notice. However, outside of a stumble, Thomas never fell flat on his face. Nerves flooded through him the closer he got to the stage, though. Anxiety bubbled under the surface.

What would people say about him? What would they think? Are they judging him for all of his actions? Did people hate him for winning while their tributes died? Did parents wish he had died instead of their child?

His thoughts caused him to miss his introduction. Minho nudged him to go out there. Like usual, he tripped on his way onto the stage, causing Caesar to chuckle. Somehow, all of it reminded him of last time. The audience was cheering from him and Caesar had a welcoming smile. All his worries just melted away and he just began to cry.

"Oh, hey. No tears, Thomas. You're a winner." Caesar began to lead Thomas to his chair.

"I'm sorry, Caesar. I must look a mess." Thomas rubbed his eyes.

"Oh, no. You look good." Thomas smiled. Just be himself.

"I probably looked worse at the end of the Games. I _felt_ horrible and probably looked like klunk, too." He ran his fingers through his hair, trying not to wince at moving his hand. "I can't tell you how nice it is to run my fingers through my hair and not have sand falling into my face." The audience chuckled at his words.

"That arena was a brutal one. It certainly had me on the edge of my seat. What was it like first hand?" Thomas swallowed as he looked from Caesar to the audience. He didn't think he could bring himself to tell them everything. But he had to try to get them to see the arena. After all, that's what they all wanted to hear.

"Hot. I think I lost half my weight by sweating it off." Thomas started out slowly, he moved so he was leaning closer to the audience. He swore they all leaned forward, too, to hear every word. "The sand was everywhere, it was ridiculous. Hot days, cold nights. The buildings were the only relief and even they had sand everywhere. Each step in those buildings felt like I was walking on an unsturdy plank. I'm sure you all saw my wonderful fall through the floors. That hurt, just as bad as when the building collapsed."

"That was a surprise none of us saw coming." Caesar exclaimed and Thomas couldn't help but nod in agreement.

"Neither did we, it was a surprise to say the least. Everyone was to be kept on their toes." Caesar was quiet for a minute before clearing his throat.

"So I know I'm not the only one curious. What went through your mind atop the Cornucopia with Sonya and Teresa?" Thomas' hands tightened against each other as he swallowed hard. He had been trying to avoid talking about the other tributes, especially those two.

"Sonya... I really wanted to protect her. She was so much better in training than I was. But Teresa apparently teamed up with Sonya to take me out, but Sonya decided to use that alliance to benefit herself. To gain Teresa's trust to betray it. There could only be one winner." Thomas' voice shook a little as he tried to steal it. "I didn't know a thing until it was too late. I couldn't save Sonya, but Teresa..." Thomas shook his head, trying to distance himself from the memories that were beginning to surface. "I acted without thinking, tossing all of us off." He didn't want to die. "If I was going to die, I was going to make Teresa suffer for her actions." Of betraying him and Sonya who trusted her. For killing Sonya. Thomas wouldn't have rested had he let Teresa win so easily.

"Your actions are what caused you to win, Thomas. And you know what?" Thomas' full attention was on the talk show host.

"What, Caesar?"

"You're still not a cruel person, Thomas. You're still that good kid we all cheered for." Thomas took a deep breath as Caesar helped him stand. "Our victor of this year's Hunger Games from District 10, Thomas Edison, ladies and gentlemen." The cheers and applause from the audience was loud.

The sounds continued on in his head even after he left the stage and returned back to his room. Minho, Newt, and Gally were all leaving him alone. He was torn between wanting them to stick to him like glue or be thankful they were giving him space.

There was a gentle knock on his door that had him shifting just a little, wanting to groan in pain. But the person on the other side entered, assuming it was a call to enter. It was Gally, who just wandered over towards the bed and sat down.

"They're proud of you, Minho and Newt. They took Sonya's death hard, but are thankful you're alive. Don't forget that. You're heading back to your District in the morning so this is goodbye for a bit. I have to things to finish cleaning up. It's also not my place to leave the Capitol." Gally took a deep breath. "Minho and Newt act tough, especially Newt, but they have their own demons. Watching you nearly died, it triggered memories that both would rather forget. Especially Newt. He hasn't been the same since Harriet brought up Alby to you." Thomas grabbed Gally's arm to stop him.

"Who was Alby?" He wanted to know. He wanted to remember.

"Alby? He died to protect Newt. It's not my place to give you the finer details if you don't remember. I doubt Newt will ever be able to." Gally shook his head before he got to his feet. "Get some rest, you have a long day ahead of you tomorrow."

Thomas was then left with his own thoughts, so many swimming through his mind. However, he felt too tired to dwell on anything for too long. He had questions for Minho, but more for Newt. But they could wait, right?


	14. Nightmares

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thomas has nightmares and, in his wake to find a distraction, ends up learning more about his former mentors.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oops. I got busy with work. Surprise, surprise. Just for the wait I decided to make the chapter a little bit longer than usual. Thanks for putting up with me~

_Thomas was watching out a window, able to hear talking behind him. The voices were familiar. Laughter hit his ears and he couldn't help but turn his head to glance behind him. Bright sun was flooding in through the window, making it easier to see Sonya and Teresa. They were laughing and he could hear them talking about the time during training when one of the tributes knocked all the weapons off the stand and ticked off a career._

_The light laughter made him smile just a little as he sat down, back against the wall. Sand would occasionally blow in through the window. Everything felt so peaceful that Thomas allowed himself to close his eyes for just a minute._

_However, silence soon settled in. That wasn't right. Teresa and Sonya had been talking. But as the male opened his eyes, he wished he hadn't. He just began to scream, trying to get further away. But the lifeless eyes of Sonya and Teresa seemed to follow him, blood everywhere from every tear of flesh the cranks had caused to their bodies. And Thomas just kept screaming._

Thomas could feel hands on his shoulders, someone calling his name. But all that he kept seeing was Sonya and Teresa's eyes. All he could hear was his own screaming. He felt arms wrapped around him, his screams turning into sobs as he tried to escape. The arms let him break free as he fell out of the bed. He scrambled to the corner, gazing back at the intruder in his room.

All he was met with was the pained look on his mother's face. He should have known it was her. She came in and was there every night since his return, holding him through his nightmares. They never talked about it, though. Chuck never brought them up either, although Thomas knew he kept his younger brother up some night with the fits.

"Tom..." His mother's voice was gentle, like she was trying to coax a wounded animal out of hiding so she could help it. In many ways, Thomas knew that was the best fitting way to describe the situation.

"You can sleep, mom. I'm... I'm going to stay up." Every time he closed his eyes, those haunted eyes plagued him. There was no way he could go back to sleep now. 

Thomas struggled to leave the room, feeling a twinge of pain from his leg as he made his way down the stairs. He could feel his mother following him, but neither dared to speak until they had reached the kitchen. The victor was searching for something to drink, nearly dropping his glass as he tried to take a sip of water. His hands were shaking so much.

"Tom, you're safe." His mother broke the silence after a couple minutes. "It's over." The teen had to resist slamming his cup onto the counter.

"It's never over, mom. For you, for Chuck, for all the others in this country, but not for me. I can never forget. Every time I close my eyes, I always see Sonya or Teresa. Sometimes I see Harriet or Ben. Sometimes it's you, Chuck, or one of my mentors. And there's never anything I can do to save you! Sometimes it's me who kills you." Thomas gazed down at his hands, they were shaking so much. He ran them through his hair, needing to do something with them.

"Tom, me and Chuck are alive. So are your mentors. The way to help yourself is to forgive yourself. All those deaths, it wasn't your fault. It's not your fault you wanted to live." How Thomas wanted to yell at her. To tell her that she was wrong and could never understand. It was all his fault that several people had died in that arena. And there would never be a time when he could forgive himself.

"I'm going out." The teen just brushed by his mother, shoving on his shoes before heading out the front door. He didn't care that he was only in a t-shirt and shorts. The district had rather warm nights, especially compared to the cold nights he had dealt with in the arena. The smell of the near by farm was comforting. It brought his memories away from remembering the desert.

He glanced around the victor's village. The lights downstairs at his home were on, most likely his mother was not going to return to bed. Only one other house had lights on and it had Thomas strolling across the courtyard to reach the front door. He knocked gently, unsure who was going to greet him. He had yet to actually figure out which was Newt's house and which was Minho's, but he didn't care at this moment.

"You know what time it is, shank?" Thomas was greeted by the tired face of Minho, whose face fell a little at seeing Thomas. "I see nothing changes about winning." The Asian teen shook his head as he stepped aside. "Come in." Thomas swore the other smelt of alcohol. But the entire house was actually rather warm as he stepped inside. He could hear the sound of music playing.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know where else to go and there was a light on..." Thomas began to ramble as Minho shut the front door and began to lead him through the house. It looked very similar to his but the furniture was all different.

"Don't worry about it, Thomas." The lights he had seen, and the music, were coming from the kitchen. Newt was settled at the table, sipping from a cup. There were several bottles on the table, several empty. Thomas could also tell where Minho had been sitting.

Thomas faltered in step at the sight of Newt. He hadn't talked to his mentor since the final night back in the Capitol. Minho had been the one to take the train back to the district with him, muttering that Newt had loose ends to tie up while still in the Capitol. Thomas had wanted to question, but couldn't find it in him to ask.

"Welcome, Tommy. You need a glass?" Minho was already shifting through cabinets, pulling down a glass. He poured a glass for the new victor as Thomas took a seat, a little confused.

"Do you do this often?" Thomas accepted the glass, unsure if he should drink it or not. He had never actually had alcohol before, but knew the smell of it. And the smell of whatever was in his glass made his nose burn.

"Often enough that our parents don't question a thing." Minho shrugged as he took a sip from his drink.

"They expect it, I suppose. Not like they actually make any comments, just give us pitying looks." Newt downed his drink and slammed his glass back down on the table. "Poor little Newt, blaming himself because he can't save his tributes. Takes it personal. Just let him drink. Blah, blah, blah." It was clear to Thomas that the blond had probably had one drink too many. "Welcome to the club, Tommy. Everyone will respect you and pity you at the same time. From now until you die."

"So, what were your dreams of?" Minho rested his elbows on the table. Versus Newt, Minho seemed quite well put together. But Thomas could still hear the way Minho's words slurred every so slightly.

"Sonya and Teresa." Thomas gazed down at his drink, debating if he wanted to actually drink it or not.

"It won't bite, mate." Thomas hadn't realized the silence that had settled in until Newt spoke. It finally caused him to take a sip of the drink, coughing and almost dropping the contents that remained in the glass.

"What the hell are you guys even drinking?" Newt was laughing into his hand and Minho grinning.

"Everything we could get our hands on lately. Vodka, whiskey, and gin mainly. Been drinking since we got back." Minho replied. Thomas glanced between them. He didn't really see two carefree teens, he saw what he saw when he looked in the mirror. Someone who can't stop seeing death, and it's haunting them. The inability to sleep without nightmares, demons ready to jump out when they were feeling safe.

"You both look like klunk," Thomas muttered as he took another sip of his drink, still making a face at the taste.

"Like you look any better, Tommy." Newt muttered, resting his head on his arm on the table. He used his free hand to move his glass around the table in front of him. He just watched the liquid in the glass. "This club sucks. I sit and wonder why I'm still alive. Why I tried so hard to win. I don't even know anymore." The blond shifted so he could down the rest of his drink.

"Newt..." Thomas didn't like hearing the other talk like that. He was glad Newt was alive. The other had given him motivation to win. Newt had trained him and even helped save his life in the arena.

"I'm going to go home. Night." Neither teen moved as they watched Newt stumble his way out of the house.

"So, Thomas, it took you a while before you got up the courage to come over." Minho leaned back in his seat, worrying the brunet that he was going to topple over. "I'm not surprised, though. I took a week before breaking down and going to Newt following my games. I spent most of that week being angry and holed up in my room. I wasn't good at handling a return to the real world." Minho leaned back down, resting both his arms on the table. "We all take it differently."

"Now you two just drink." Thomas couldn't finish the single glass in front of him, but the bitter taste was still on his tongue. He knew the drink could make you forget for a bit, but was it worth it?

"The first week, yes. We have a seven days of mourning period and then we try to rebuild ourselves. We got one week with Sonya, she deserves another week where we grieve for her. It probably sounds foolish to you, but we remember them. Those who died, we spend a week remembering them all. We drink in honor of their sacrifices and at their poor luck. We drink so that no one is forgotten." Thomas was stunned for a minute, just staring. He hadn't been expecting any of that. "We drink to take off the edge of the bitter feelings of our memories of our time in the arena rising to overtake us." Minho ran his fingers through his hair.

"I'm sorry," Thomas found himself muttering.

"Don't be. I want to tell you that all of this gets easier, Tom. That you stop feeling like klunk. That you'll forget you killed people, watched people die. But I can't, and that's the truth. Me and Newt, our victories are still too recent. They are still open wounds that haven't had time to heal. But, then again, how can we expect them to when every year they'll get reopened?" Minho sighed.

"Minho-" Thomas began to talk but was cut off.

"So we leave in a couple days to District 12. The Mining District. This will be your first time seeing all the other districts, so take it all in. You'll realize that while life always sucked here, it could be worse. Dealing with the smell of cow klunk ain't nothing compared to some of the things the other districts deal with." Silence settled in as Thomas tried to imagine it. "You should try and get some rest."

"I can't sleep without nightmares." The Asian just chuckled as he got up, knocking into the table. He made his way around it and lifted Thomas to his feet.

"I slept with Newt the first week after I finally gave up trying to conquer my inner demons by myself." Minho couldn't help but laugh at the face the other made as he lead him to the stares. "You should see your face. I didn't mean it like that." He continued to laugh but quieted as they reached the top, managing to only trip twice. "I found that being with someone else, it was better than being alone. I could sleep better. It was a reminder that I wasn't alone."

"Oh."

They entered into a rather nice looking room. Most of it was still plain but there were hints that it was well lived in. The large bed was settled on a rug, books filling the bookshelves and clothes tossed haphazardly on both the dresser and across the floor.

"Shoes off, we're going to sleep now." Thomas kicked off his shoes and climbed into the bed. Minho climbed in and proceeded to smack him in the face while trying to pull the blankets up a little. Despite that, Thomas could feel sleep wanting to claim him.

"Minho?"

"Hm?" The reply was slurred, alerting Thomas that Minho was just about passed out.

"Does Newt hate me?" His question was met with silence that seemed to stretch for a couple minutes. Thomas figured that Minho had fallen asleep. But then came the quiet reply that he was happy to hear.

"Never."


	15. Speeches

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thomas' emotions are forever changing, the topic varying. As Thomas gives his first speech, he realizes that he is now connected to every District.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I would have gotten this up sooner but I just had to put my cat down. I'm still not over it since my cat wasn't all that old. But here's chapter 15.

Thomas just paced the floor, rubbing his arms. He was cold and knew that it was all in his mind. He was just nervous. Every time he glanced at the table, he found himself pausing. Newt was fast asleep, blanket draped around his shoulders and cold glass of tea still clutched in one hand. He looked so peaceful, although it was clear that he was sick.

Minho was settled across from him, reading off a tablet. Thomas wanted to question how he had such technology but figured it best not to ask. With him knowing someone like Gally, it wasn't hard for him to imagine the Asian victor knew more people in the Capitol than he had even began to talk about. But all thoughts on the matter changed when Thomas noticed the other glance up at him, as if to question what he was looking at.

"How long until we reach District 12?" Thomas wasn't a fan of the train. It was too confined for his liking, taking him to a distant area he had never been to.

"Just sit down and watch the television or something, Thomas. We'll be there soon enough." Minho went back to whatever he was doing. It left Thomas to plop down on the couch to stare at the television. He was never interested in the shows of the Capitol. They were horrible and unrealistic. It was no wonder the people of the Capitol were the way they were.

Thomas must have fallen asleep for next thing he knew, Newt was gently shaking him awake. "Tommy, wake up. God, don't punch me in the face." He could hear the voice mutter before he jolted awake. He noticed the way Newt flinched away, eyes wide.

"Sorry," Thomas found himself muttering as he ran his fingers through his hair. His heart was beating a million miles a minute but was slowly calming down. He wondered if Newt's heart was beating quick, too. Probably, the other had looked startled.

"I'm the one who woke you, I'm sorry. Although you needed to get up, we reached District 12." Thomas was interested at that, getting up so he could get a better look out the window.

The first word that came to mind was depressing. He thought his district was bad, but this was worse. It was run down, some buildings looked like they would fall apart if the wind blew. The one thing that stood out was the Justice Building. It reminded him of the one back in his own district. However, compared to everything around, the building stuck out like a sore thumb. It was exactly where he was being herded into, Minho and Newt on both sides.

Newt was right, he did feel a bit like some show monkey, especially when Minho began to talk to him about the speech. He was prepped while his former mentor tried to hand him speech cards. Newt kept muttering that Thomas would be fine without them, but the boy in question wasn't sure he could face this district. How was he supposed to talk to them? He came out alive while two of their own were dead. It was unfair.

Like Thomas predicted, his throat ran dry as he was placed in front of the microphone. "I..." He began but lost his voice once more. He couldn't help but gaze down at his cards, trying to remember what Minho had kept telling him to say. "I didn't know your tributes, but I wish I had." He took a deep breath as he glanced up. "I would like to say their life gave meaning to our country, but all I can say is that it gave meaning to each of our lives. For you, they were your family, your friends, your classmates. That is something to cherish. Their death was not in vain. Even though they were taken from this world at a young age, they can always be claimed your victors. Everyone who steps into the arena is already a victor in their own rights and that is something we should never forget." He glanced between the two families who were watching him. "There is no amount of apologies I can say to ease the pain of your loss. We all bear those scars. I am sorry, but it feels hollow to say those three words. I'm sorry I didn't know them better, I wish I had. But never forget that your children are as much victors as I am." He paused as he watched the families, wanting nothing more than to comfort them. "Thank you for your time." He ducked his head before taking a step back.

There was no applause, no words spoken, not even a cough. As Thomas lifted his head, he noticed that each member of the District had risen three fingers into the air. If he remembered right, it was a district sign. He remembered that they had done something similar when their tributes got chosen. He could feel Newt squeeze his hand as he quickly realized he had forgotten how to breath. He took a sharp intake before he returned the gesture. He kissed his fingers before saluting them back. Never before had he felt more connected to another district than he did in that moment.

"Come on, Tommy." Newt tugged him back into the building, Minho following after them.

"I think he might be better than you at giving speeches, Newt." Minho teased as they headed back to the train.

"Can't blame my speech on anyone but myself. I was a blubbering fool, I was." Newt rolled his eyes.

"Was I alright?" Thomas broke into their conversation. He had completely gone off script and spoke from the heart.

"Alright? Tommy, you were more than alright. The Capitol watches carefully for anything you might say that is offensive. You got close, but it also could easily be seen as loyalty all the same. You connected with them, which is important. No one wants to hear the speech of 'I won and your victors are dead'. Citizens mourn and want to believe the victor has compassion." Newt began to explain, making Thomas feel a little better.

"Besides, you're everyone's favorite victor, Thomas. Your personality is like a magnet. People can't help but like you." Minho slung an arm around the brunet's shoulders, grinning as they finally reached the train.

"I'm starting to think that might be a bad thing..." Thomas muttered, just hearing the other two laugh. Well, Minho laughed, but Newt still chuckled. They boarded the train. Only eleven more districts to go until the speeches were finished.


	16. A New Life

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thomas reaches the Capitol, which holds many surprises.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What's that sound? Oh, right. The sound of this fic becoming a train wreck. Just kidding. So there's probably only going to be only two more chapters until the end. I could probably end it sooner, but I don't want to rush the ending, as it will lead into the sequel. Yes, a sequel. This chapter holds a major clue as to what the sequel will entail. I've started plotting that and two prequels.
> 
> I've been debating taking fic requests... I will continue to debate this.

Thomas didn't want to see the Capitol again. He knew he was going to be dolled up and paraded around. He just wanted to stay cooped up in his bed and ignore the world. After all, he had just spent over a week visiting each district to give a speech.

"Come on, Thomas. You got to actually get up and get off the train." Minho was standing in the doorway, a frown on his face. "I don't know who is acting worse, you or Newt."

"What do you mean?" The brunet stuck his head out a little to look at the other.

"Nothing, shank. Now get up, you have to meet your stylists soon. Heaven forbid we allow you to go to this stupid event with your hair looking like klunk." Minho turned and walked out the room before Thomas could ask more questions. It left the new victor to get up and actually change quickly, grabbing his belonging before following after Minho.

True to Minho's words, Newt looked miserable. While his cold had passed, he still looked like death. Thomas wanted to ask if he was alright, but couldn't help but bite his tongue. Any time he tried to be friendly with Newt, the other shut him out. He was simply letting Newt initiate anything and everything, from the light joking to holding hands to even sitting next to each other to watch horrible Capitol television. Otherwise, Newt always seemed to get spooked and recoil from him.

It left Thomas wondering what he did wrong.

His thoughts regarding Newt carried on well into their arrival at the party hours later. Minho kept pointing out people he should remember, while Newt kept absolutely silent and trailing one step behind them. Thomas only knew he was still following them because he kept glancing behind him to make sure his former mentor was there. How he wanted Newt to just walk alongside him, but knew that wouldn't happen if he asked.

"It's good to see you again, Thomas." The woman that Thomas remembered from his assessment had stepped in front of them as they were strolling through the mansion. She held out a hand for the brunet to shake. She was rather stunning, not at all decorated crazy like the rest of the Capitol citizens. Long brown hair was half braided and half left to flow freely over her shoulders and back. Dark hues were watching him with amusement, they stood out even more against her dress that appeared brown but seemed to sparkle to look gold or bronze depending on the light. "You, too, Minho, Newt." She smiled at them.

"It feels like it's been ages, Brenda. Preparing for the next games already?" Minho shook her hand as Thomas still just stood there.

"Never a dull moment being the Game Maker." She sighed before leaning in. "Quarter Quell is next and all. I'm hoping for an even more exciting turn of events, but those are secrets I can't reveal." She smiled politely.

"Not even for me?" Minho feigned being hurt, making the Game Maker laugh.

"Stop by later and maybe, just maybe, I'll spill a possibility or two." Thomas wasn't sure he liked her. How she easily talked about the games as if they weren't about killing people. As if she didn't sentence twenty-three teens to die in horrible ways. "Oh stop it with that face, Thomas. It'll get stuck that way and heaven forbid that cute, little face of your's get stuck making a condescending look." Brenda tucked a couple strands behind her ear.

"Come on, mate. Brenda is one of our own, like Gally. Who do you think ensured your survival." Newt was at his side, voice low so those around them couldn't hear yet their small group could. It made Thomas look from the blond to the brunette.

"Gally spoke highly of you and was extremely proud of you during assessment. 'Wait 'til you see Newt and Minho's boy, you'll love him' he kept saying. I don't bet on tributes, but you were a first." Brenda's smile seemed to be genuine, which made Thomas unsure of how he felt about her.

"Yeah, she hated me to death." Minho muttered.

"Quite true, it was why I had you be the first victim to traps." Brenda's smile was bright and cheerful. "Sadly you grew on me." Minho's laughter at the words just made Thomas' head hurt. He wasn't following anything that was going on. How could they be friends when she hated him. Did she still dislike him?

"They're dating," Newt whispered in his ear to clear things up. "It's the most screwed up relationship in the world, but if she can stop his nightmares and deal with his arse, I support them." Thomas glanced at Newt. He was watching Minho and Brenda just joke around in softer voices. There was love and admiration in their eyes as they talked.

"Sickening, isn't it." Gally's voice caught his attention.

"Gally!" Thomas actually brightened a little at seeing the instructor.

"Was wondering where you were hiding, shank." Newt and Gally hugged, both laughing. Thomas just watched before Gally pulled him into a hug.

"You're being watched. Stay close to Newt or myself or you'll never escape." The words were whispered into Thomas' ear before he was released. It was then that Thomas noticed how many sets of eyes were watching him. He figured that being around the others was keeping them from approaching. Never before was he so glad for his friends than right now.

"Paige's address should be happening soon." Newt's words caught Thomas' attention. It seemed that the blond was trying to keep him from just staring around at everyone. "Come on, Tommy. She'd surely toss a fit if you didn't show up." The blond took his hand and began to lead him through crowds of people. He was glad when they reached the outdoors, the smell of fresh air was welcoming. Gally was right behind them and he could hear Minho still talking with Brenda as they followed, too.

Ava Paige seemed much more intimidating in person as she stood before everyone, giving a speech. She seemed to be watching Thomas as she spoke, occasionally glancing at the others. But Thomas wondered what he did to have her watch him as if he was some type of interesting type of animal.

"Newt, I feel like it's been too long." An older man approached them after Paige's speech. If Thomas could only use one word to describe him he would use rat. That was the first thing that came to mind, that the guy reminded him of one.

"Janson." Newt replied. Thomas glanced between them, wondering why it seemed like they were having a mexican stand off.

"You must be Thomas, you can call me Janson. I was Newt's biggest sponsor. I was quite surprised he never came to me to help sponsor you." Thomas glanced at Newt, almost questioning what was going on.

"Thomas here did just fine without your help." Newt's words were cold.

"That he did." Janson seemed to eye him for a minute. "I look forward to seeing you again later, Newt." And just like that, the man was gone. It took a minute before Newt seemed to relax.

"What was that all about?" Thomas wanted answers, although the blond didn't look like he was going to answer. Not at first.

"Janson was my biggest sponsor during my games, even paid for them to piece my leg back together. I felt that I owed him. He got inside my head and I've been stuck ever since. It's why the only sponsor you gained was Brenda. I refused to let anyone else play you like I've been played." Thomas watched as his mentor walked off. It left him just standing there with even more questions.

"Some sponsors, they want more from the victors than to just watch them win. Janson has torn Newt apart since his win. Everything Newt was before that game is gone. We were friends before it, which was probably the only reason he went to Janson when my name got called." Minho spoke up, watching the group of people who began to talk to Newt as he tried to escape. "Janson is a sick and twisted individual. Never get caught up with him, Tom. Not if you value your self worth." Thomas wanted to know what exactly happened. What did Janson do? But a bigger part of him didn't want to know.

The party seemed to go on for hours, especially when he got stuck with just Gally at one point. He had noticed Minho and Brenda dancing, Newt wasn't even anywhere to be seen. But he felt Gally bump him, the older teen was wearing a frown.

"Let's get out of here. I'll make sure to get you home before you turn into a pumpkin." Thomas couldn't help but laugh as he followed Gally away from the party. They wandered the streets of the Capitol, not really saying much.

"Do you ever feel like the odd man out in life?" Thomas asked after ten minutes of just wandering.

"All the time, you know." Thomas thought about it for a minute.

"I thought Newt liked me, but now I don't know anymore." Gally was quiet for too long so Thomas tacked on, "We kissed before I got sent up into the arena." That seemed to earn Gally's attention.

"Have you had this conversation with Newt?" Thomas just shook his head, causing the other to sigh. "Well, you should. As long as I've known Newt, he's been complicated. Hot then cold, like he has something to prove to the world. That he has to protect everyone. I don't know what's going through that shank's head, but I'm sure he thinks he has a good reason for being cold. However, I can tell you that he doesn't hate you in the least." The words calmed down Thomas a bit. He knew that Gally wouldn't lie to him, there was no reason for him to do that. Gally had always been brutally honest with him, which was why Thomas was comforted by the words.

"Thanks, Gally." He muttered, but didn't receive an answer in reply.

"We're here." They arrived outside a rather plan house. It was bigger than his old house back in District 10, but not as big as the new one in the Victor's Village. But, for the Capitol, it seemed big. Gally opened the front door and Thomas followed him. It was surprisingly warm and welcoming. It had hints of female touches, but otherwise seemed pretty manly. It screamed Gally. "Minho will probably spend the night at Brenda's, he usually lives there when he's here. Newt will probably show up later."

"Do they stay here often?" Thomas couldn't help but wonder how often his former mentors visited the Capitol.

"Often enough. And it's now your home, too." Gally motioned for him to follow him. "Let me show you to your room." They went up a set of stairs. "This is my room, that is Newt's, that's Minho's, that one is the bathroom, and this is your's." Gally pushed open a door to a simple bedroom. It merely held a bed, a dresser, and a wardrobe. "Decorate it as you please. Oh, and here." Thomas glanced at the key Gally was holding out to him. "Welcome to part of District 10's home from home." Thomas accepted the key before wandering into the room. He noticed that his things were already here, waiting to be unpacked. Thomas turned to thank Gally but the other was already gone. It left Thomas to unpack and just lay down. The clock next to the bed said it was late and he should probably sleep.

An hour later and he still couldn't sleep. The sound of the front door opening and closing alerted him to someone either coming in or Gally leaving. He assumed returning, as there was soon the sound of footsteps coming up the stairs. Getting out of bed, he went to see who it was. He could just make out Newt's appearance in the dark hallway.

"Didn't mean to wake you, Tommy." Newt had a hand on the door to his own room.

"I wasn't sleeping... I couldn't sleep." He admitted. The blond just motioned for him to follow him. Thomas did, entering the room. He turned to look around the room as Newt began to change. The room looked well lived in, filled with various items that seemed like Newt. It included a picture of him and his family.

"Come to bed, Tommy." The voice snapped the brunet from his thoughts. Newt had already crawled under the blankets and was watching him. Thomas wandered over and settled under the blankets.

"Hey, Newt?" Thomas tried to muster all his courage.

"Yeah?"

"Do you hate me?" Silence settled in for a moment, although the sound of the sheets rustling caught his attention. Newt had moved to hover over the other.

"God no, Tommy. Why would you think such a thing?" Oh how Thomas wanted to just wrap his arms around the other and pull him close.

"You get distant when I show the littlest bit of affection." Silence settled in for longer this time. The two victors just watched each other before Newt shifted away. He sat up and Thomas automatically copied him.

"Some sponsors expect things from you, others don't. I've played boyfriend, date, escort, etc. I was eye candy to many, the prize that my sponsors loved to have attached to their child's arm. If I did one thing wrong, I got in trouble. I have to be perfect. Every time you reach for me, part of me is waiting for harsh words. I know they aren't going to come. You're not like that. I just feel more in control when I'm allowed to do things at my own pace." Thomas wrapped an arm around the blond's shoulders.

"But you still have those moments where you don't react." Newt smiled, more to himself.

"Because I'm getting used to you, Tommy."

"Then why have you been so distant?" It had been killing him.

"I freaked a little." Newt admitted. "I thought you were going to die in the arena and you came back. I was so happy, Tommy. But then I realized that I've never properly dated anyone before. I don't know the first thing about it. You deserve better than everything I've been put through. Better than the warped sense of admiration I've dealt with since I won my games. I figured that you would find better, want better than me. Everyone usually does." Newt shrugged but Thomas simply pulled him closer, placing a kiss to Newt's temple.

"Sheesh, Newt. You could have said something. I've never dated anyone before either, so let's just explore this together, yeah?"

"Janson will hate it and I can't protect you from him." Thomas chuckled.

"I don't need protecting, Newt. I can protect both of us. Now let's sleep." Thomas could feel Newt relax in his arms. He laid them both back down, keeping his arms wrapped around the blond. Newt shifted to be a little closer.

"Hey, Tommy?"

"Yeah?"

"Thank you." Thomas smiled and hummed out a reply. He fell asleep fairly quickly after that. However, when he woke up, Newt was gone.


	17. New Beginnings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thomas learns about Alby and grows closer to Newt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> James Dashner is going to be at BookCon!!! So excited and now I feel like I need to go. One chapter left and it's done. I'm just staring at it, trying to figure out if I want to do Newt's story, Minho's story, the sequel, or a series of one shots revolving around this fic next. Decisions, decisions.

Thomas nearly fell out of the bed when he became aware that Newt was gone. His heart was racing. What had he done wrong? Had he upset the other? Or did Newt decide against them being something? There were so many dark thoughts going through his mind that he didn't even hear the knock on the door.

"Really, Tommy? It's too early to have a mental breakdown." Newt's teasing words drew him from his thoughts.

"I thought you changed your mind." Thomas had to fight with the blankets so he had get to the blond male.

"I couldn't sleep so made coffee." Newt tugged Thomas into a hug, the brunet nearly melted into the embrace. He could feel the insecurities that had been rising begin to subside. "You're like a kitten." Thomas loved the sound of Newt's chuckle. "Come on, let's watch some television."

The two wandered downstairs, Newt giving Thomas a cup of coffee. They settled comfortably on the couch just watching horrible television. Newt couldn't help but laugh, causing Thomas to smile. It was like everything bad was gone. That they were okay, everything was alright.

Thomas really wanted to ask questions, but didn't want to break the spell that Newt was under. He wanted to ask about Janson. About what happened after Newt won the Games. But he figured it was a bad idea.

"I come out here a lot when I can't handle being in the District anymore. As a victor, you can come and go. You can't visit other Districts, but you can come to the Capitol." Newt explained.

"To escape what?" What was in their home that could make Newt want to come here?

"The looks of everyone. The pity, the hatred. It's like they don't know I hate myself as it is." Thomas placed his hand atop Newt's.

"I don't hate you." How he wanted to say he hated himself more than he could hate another. But he supposed his self hatred was the same thing Newt had. It seemed the blond was reading his thoughts as he was giving a 'Don't speak without thinking' look.

"You don't leave the arena the same way you went in. You change. I went through a lot of changes. I went in hopeful, I became desperate, I became depressed, and then I became a ruthless killer." Newt gazed into his empty much. "I would have died if not for Alby, Janson, and my other sponsors."

"Harriet mentioned Alby. Who was he?" Thomas was prepared to be shut out. He wasn't expecting Newt to set down the cup.

"I didn't trust anyone in the arena, the girl from our District was older and didn't want to play babysitter. She never tried to find me, not once. But Alby... He found me after I jumped and cared for me. He died protecting me. His death turned me into a killer. It was unfair that someone as kind as Alby had to die. And he died saving some worthless kid like me!" Newt's voice had risen but it also cracked.

Then it all made sense. Why Harriet said their District were allies. What Alby had done for Newt. He sacrificed himself for the other, similar to how Harriet had put herself in danger to save Thomas. Even if she died, in the end, trying to get revenge. Their Districts were intertwined, linked due to some alliance that seems to keep forming in the Games. He wondered if Minho had formed an alliance with them, too.

"He wouldn't want you to hate yourself, Newt. He knew you would win. He was betting on you." Thomas moved closer, wrapping his arms around the blond. He felt Newt flinch before melting into his embrace.

Thomas didn't think he had ever seen the blond so vulnerable. Usually he appeared older, but right now he looked his age, possibly even younger. They just remained like that for a while, Newt wrapped in Thomas' arms. Blond strands ticked the brunet's face, but he never asked the other to move. He didn't want to break the spell.

"Well, look at the love birds. I take it you two made up. Good." Minho strolled into the house, causing both Newt and Thomas to groan.

"Look what the zoo let loose." Newt responded.

"You wound me, Newt." Minho teased as he wandered into the kitchen to get coffee. "Anyway, Janson seemed to be looking for you. I told him you returned back to the District." Newt frowned but nodded.

"Thanks."

"Is Janson that bad?" Everyone made him out to be evil.

"He is. Janson is Paige's right hand man, right above Brenda. He's worse than Paige, at least she keeps him in line." Newt muttered.

"Don't get on his bad side, Thomas. Not if you value your life." Minho sat on the coffee table, sipping his cup.

"Minho, how many times have I told you not to sit on the coffee table?" Gally's voice was loud and clear, causing the Asian teen to spill some of his coffee as he jumped to his feet.

"Well if it isn't sleeping beauty. Apparently your beauty sleep doesn't help that attitude of your's." Thomas knew they were teasing but it still sounded like a real argument.

"Shut it, Minho, or I'll kick you out." Minho then made a motion of zipping his lips and throwing away the key.

"We're going to be heading back to the District later." Newt announced. Thomas figured he should be expecting it. They had barely been staying anywhere else. "Unless you want to stay here longer, Tommy."

Thomas actually thought about it. He was welcomed here, amongst people who understood him. They didn't pressure him to talk and accepted that he had nightmares. He blamed himself and wouldn't stop, as they were the same as him. They had skeletons in their closets, too.

But, at the same time, he had left on a bad note with his mother. And that wasn't like him. He had always been close with his mother and felt horrible for the way he was treating her. She was just trying. He had to try, too.

"Nah, it's fine. I need to have a talk with my mom." He ignored the questioning looks from the others, but no one questioned him.

Thomas understood now why Minho and Newt traveled so light, they kept things here. And now Thomas had a home here and was able to leave clothes here, too. The thought of being able to call this place home still felt weird. But Newt, Minho, and Gally were like a second family to him. A very dysfunctional family, but a family none-the-less.

Gally escorted them to the train station, hugging each of them before they got on the train. "Don't be a stranger, Thomas."

The words meant more than Gally could imagine. He felt like a stranger in his life and he was just trying to live up to the Thomas he used to be, but was failing. The only ones who accepted him were Newt, Gally, and Minho.

"What're you thinking so hard about, Tommy?" Newt's voice snapped him from his thoughts. He couldn't help but smile, tossing aside his thoughts.

"How much I enjoy hearing you say my name."

"Oh god, you two are disgustingly domestic already. I'm going to my room to escape all this love." Minho got up.

"Our love will even destroy your alone place, Minho!" Newt teased as the Asian left, hands over his hear and singing horribly off key. Thomas was pretty sure Minho still heard Newt's words, which had both him and the blond laughing.

"You think things are going to be alright?" Newt settled down next to the brunet.

"Of course, Tommy. What do you think is wrong?" The look of confusion had Thomas just running his fingers through his hair.

"With my mom, with the Games, with being a mentor. With me being... me." With his nightmares and the guilt, he wanted to add.

"You have me, for starters. I'll help you get through anything the world tosses at you." Thomas was quiet for a moment. Would he always have Newt? He didn't want to think about not having the other.

"That's good because I'll be the worst mentor in the history of mentors." Newt laughed, the heavy air in the room disappearing.

"You can't do any worse than I did, Tommy. Minho will tell you I was horrible." Newt smiled. "You just need to take things one day at a time. Don't worry about being a mentor just yet. Just worry about what you need to talk to your mum about." Thomas sighed and nodded.

Newt was right. He was going to just keep panicking and worrying if he kept gazing so far into the future. Right now was what he needed to worry about.

"Thanks, Newt." He meant it. He wanted to thank the other for everything, but wasn't sure he could convey his gratitude properly.

"Anything for you, Tommy."


	18. Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thomas returns home to start anew.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Final chapter. Probably could have ended it at 17. Oops. Oh well. Look for the sequel which will be posted soon enough, the first chapter at least. I mean, there's been so many hints of things to come that I can't just NOT give the first chapter.

Thomas stood outside the door to his house. He felt a little lost, unsure if he wanted to actually go in or not. He figured he should, he needed to talk with his mom. But he felt this overwhelming fear of that nothing was going to change. That she was never going to start to understand him.

"Well, go in, Tommy. You can't put this off forever." Newt had been standing by his side for the last five minutes, showing his support. Minho had been dragged home from by his mother who saw him trying to sneak away.

"I don't think I can do it." The brunet released his breath. He could try tomorrow, or the day after. No one said he had to do it right away, right?

"Tom?" The familiar voice of his mother had him halting. He met her gaze and could see that she was happy he was home. He was pulled into one of her bone crushing hugs. "You're home." It was then that the teen realized that his mother figured he wouldn't be coming home. She had said goodbye to him before he left for the Capitol after the reaping, prepared to lose her son. He wondered if she thought every time he left the house he wasn't going to return?

"Of course, mom. I'm always going to come home." He hugged her back. He put his mother through a lot, more than he had ever imagined to. Perhaps the issue between them wasn't just his mother's fault but his as well.

"Who's this?" Thomas knew that his mother was well aware of who Newt was. Everyone in their District did. But something about this felt normal, like this was the life they should have been leading had they not been pulled into the Hunger Games.

"I'm Newt, ma'am. I'm a friend of Tommy's." It was clear that Newt was prepared to shake her hand and was quite shocked to receive a hug.

"Any friend of Tom's is family. Come in, come in. It's lunch time." Thomas stepped into the house. The smell of food was welcoming, especially since it was his mother's cooking. "Chuck, we have a guest." His mother's voice rang through the house.

"Is she always like this?" Newt questioned quietly as they followed into the kitchen. The words made Thomas think back. He remembered when his father got sick. She was miserable when him and Chuck weren't watching, but Thomas had heard her cry at night. Things got worse after he died and that was when Thomas picked up an after school job. They were poor, yes, but they managed to get food on the table. He wondered if his mother had been a mess during his Games. Probably. But now she was happy again, he couldn't leave to be sent to death again.

"Yeah. We don't know when we'll lose someone close, so we cherish it." Newt hummed as he thought about the words as they settled down at the kitchen table.

"I could get used to this." Newt smiled at the newer victor.

"I would sure as heck hope so, Newt, otherwise we won't work." Thomas teased, causing Newt to laugh.

"Good that." They were soon joined by Thomas' mother and Chuck for lunch. Chuck kept questioning them about the Capitol, about the other Districts. Thomas felt at peace for the first time in a while as he just watched everyone talk and eat. He figured this was the most normal moment he had had in months. "What'cha thinking about, Tommy." Newt's voice snapped him from his thoughts. All eyes were on him.

"Nothing, just thinking." He smiled. No one seemed to question it, although Chuck rolled his eyes.

"Well, don't think too hard. Can't have you breaking your precious little brain." The blond's teasing made him laugh. Conversation turned light after that until Newt realized he should probably go home to his own family.

"I'll stop by later." Thomas stood in the center of the pathway between his house and Newt's.

"Sounds good. Oh, and Tommy?" Thomas just hummed in response. Although he was slightly surprised by the kiss he was met with. "Stay safe." Newt began to back away.

"I will." Thomas beamed brightly before they both headed to their respective houses.

"So you're dating your mentor." Chuck's words hit him as soon as he entered the house.

"He's not my mentor anymore. I'm a victor and am now to be a mentor." The words left his mouth before he thought about it. He was going to be a mentor. That thought scared him.

"Victor love." Chuck teased before getting yelled at by their mother. Thomas was thankful for the end of the teasing, but there was something about the thought of the next Games that made him feel uneasy.

"Don't think so far away, Thomas." He sighed as he talked to himself and forced himself to think about today. About tomorrow. There would be plenty of time to worry later.


End file.
